Annette Frances Braun facts for kids

Some typical microlepidoptera: a many-plumed moth (top center) and a white plume moth (center).

Annette Frances Braun (born 1884, died 1978) was an American scientist. She was an expert in entomology, which is the study of insects. Annette was especially known for her work on tiny moths called microlepidoptera. She was very interested in moths whose young (larvae) live inside plant leaves, creating tunnels.

Annette's Early Life and School

Annette Frances Braun was born on August 24, 1884. Her parents were George F. and Emma Maria Braun. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Annette went to the University of Cincinnati. She earned her first degree (A.B.) in 1906. Then she got her master's degree (A.M.) in 1908. In 1911, she earned her Ph.D. This made her the first woman to get a Ph.D. from that university. Her younger sister, Emma Lucy Braun, later became the second woman to do so.

Annette's Career as a Scientist

Annette Braun started her career teaching zoology at the University of Cincinnati. She taught there from 1911 to 1919. After that, she decided to focus on her own research.

She became very knowledgeable about moths living in the eastern forests of North America. She was known around the world as an expert. Many people say she was one of the best lepidopterists (moth and butterfly experts) of the 20th century.

Annette found and named over 340 new species of moths. She also wrote four big books and many papers about moths. She was a very good artist with pen and ink. She often drew detailed pictures for her work. These drawings came from her own observations in nature and under a microscope.

Working with Her Sister

Annette lived in Mount Washington, a town near Cincinnati, Ohio. She lived with her sister Emma, who was a famous botanist (plant scientist). They used part of their garden as a special outdoor lab for insects and plants. The sisters also went on many field trips together.

Starting in the 1910s, they walked and later drove hundreds of miles. They explored the forests of eastern North America. They especially loved Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. They were looking for different kinds of plants and moths.

Annette and Emma also cared a lot about nature. Annette is remembered for her efforts to protect natural areas. She worked hard to save places in Adams County, Ohio.

Leadership and Later Years

Annette Braun was a leader in the science community. She served as the vice-president of the Entomological Society of America in 1926. She was also a trustee for the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History.

Annette kept working and publishing her research even when she was in her eighties. She passed away on November 27, 1978. She was 94 years old.

Annette's Legacy

Annette Braun's work left a lasting mark. Some species of moths are named after her. These include Argyresthia annettella and Glyphipterix brauni.

There is also a special spot called "Annette's Rock." It is a landmark on a trail in the Lynx Prairie nature reserve in Ohio. It was named after her.

Annette Braun's scientific work and collections are kept in several places. The Cincinnati History Library & Archives holds her papers and her sister's. The Smithsonian Institution has about 5,000 of her microscope slides. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has her collection of 30,000 moth specimens. Many of her leaf-mining moth specimens also have the plant samples they were found on. These are also kept at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

See also

In Spanish: Annette Frances Braun para niños