Anna Levinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Levinson
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| Born | January 8, 1939 |
| Died | May 13, 2015 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | Hebrew University of Jerusalem (M.S. 1964, Ph.D. 1972) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology, entomology |
| Doctoral advisor | Ezekiel Rivnay, Rachel Galun |
Anna Levinson (born January 8, 1939 – died May 13, 2015) was a German zoologist. She was an expert in entomology, which is the study of insects. She focused on how insects behave and how we can use that knowledge.
Anna worked at the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology starting in 1971. Later, she also worked at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany.
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About Anna Levinson's Life
Anna was born in Tel Aviv. She studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and earned her Ph.D. (a high-level university degree) in 1972.
She received a special award called the Karl Leopold Escherich-Medal in 2007. This award was given by a German society for insect science.
Anna's parents were Isaac Bar-Ilan, an engineer, and Frieda Bar-Ilan, a mathematician. After high school, she became a biology teacher. She then went to university to study many sciences. In 1964, she earned her Master of Science degree. For this, she studied how grasshoppers like Locusta migratoria and Schistocerca gregaria make sounds and what those sounds mean.
For her Ph.D., Anna researched how to control harmful insects. She looked for things that would attract or repel them. She studied pests like the cotton leafworm, the bedbug (Cimex lectularius), and the khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium). She earned her Ph.D. in 1972.
From 1965 to 1968, Anna taught entomology at the Hebrew University. She also researched how to use natural methods to control pests. For example, she studied how to use ladybugs to fight scale insects. She also discovered how bedbugs communicate using special chemicals called pheromones. These chemicals help bedbugs gather together or warn each other of danger.
In 1971, Anna joined the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology. There, she worked with her husband, Hermann Levinson. They studied how insects and mites eat and sense their surroundings. They looked at chemicals called kairomones and pheromones. These chemicals can help control pests by confusing them or stopping them from mating. This method is called insectistasis. It helps keep pest numbers low without using too many harmful chemicals.
Since 1988, Anna and Hermann also studied the history of how people interacted with animals. They looked at both helpful and harmful animals in ancient times.
Anna Levinson's Discoveries and Work
Anna Levinson worked with scientists from many countries. They studied how pheromone traps work for insects that live in stored food. These insects include khapra beetles, hide beetles, and various moths.
The traps they developed were very successful. They were patented in many countries and are still used today. These traps help reduce the need for insecticides in places where food is stored. Anna wrote over 100 scientific papers about her research.
Awards and Recognition
Anna Levinson was a member of important insect societies in Germany. These included the German Society of general and applied Entomology (DGaaE) and the Entomological Society of Munich (MEG).
Because of her many achievements, she was recognized worldwide. In 2006, the International Biographical Centre in England named her a "Leading Scientist of the World." In 2007, she received the Honorary Medal of Karl Leopold Escherich from the DGaaE.
Works about Hermann and Anna Levinson
- "Alfred Elbert - Laudatio für Frau Dr. Anna Levinson und Herrn Professor Dr. Hermann Levinson anlässlich der Verleihung der Karl-Escherich-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie am 26. Februar 2007 in Innsbruck"., Mitt. Dtsch. Ges. allg. angew. Ent. 16, 2008, p. 9
- "Magic Spells to combat Pests". Gottfried Plehn, Max-Planck-Research, pages 58–61.(2OO2)
- Gutsmiedel, D. 2OO3: Die ägyptischen Plagegeister. Bild der Wissenschaft 6, 7O-72
See also
In Spanish: Anna Levinson para niños
