Biography

French explorer and entomologist. Pierre Émile Gounelle was forced to give up his career as an engineer in Indochina because of his fragile health. On his return to France, he occupied himself with the study of entomology, especially the Cerabicidae (Coleoptera), his preferred group. He made seven self-financed trips to eastern and northeastern Brazil between 1884 and his death in 1914, and on his early trips also collected plants, about 450 specimens in total. These were incorporated into the herbarium of the Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, but the localities are not indicated very accurately on the labels. Several Brazilian plant species, including Barbacenia gounelleana Beauverd, Leiothrix gounelleana Beauverd and the cactus Pilocereus gounellei F.A.C. Weber ex K. Schum. (= Pseudopilocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber ex K. Schum.) Buxb.), are named after him.

Sources:
A. Lourteig, "The botanical collections of Pierre-Emile Gounelle", Brittonia, 38(3): 264-265
A. Millot, "Notice nécrologique sur P.E. Gounelle", Annales de la Ssociété Entomologique de France, 89: 109-112.

Biography

French explorer and entomologist. Pierre Émile Gounelle was forced to give up his career as an engineer in Indochina because of his fragile health. On his return to France, he occupied himself with the study of entomology, especially the Cerabicidae (Coleoptera), his preferred group. He made seven self-financed trips to eastern and northeastern Brazil between 1884 and his death in 1914, and on his early trips also collected plants, about 450 specimens in total. These were incorporated into the herbarium of the Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, but the localities are not indicated very accurately on the labels. Several Brazilian plant species, including Barbacenia gounelleana Beauverd, Leiothrix gounelleana Beauverd and the cactus Pilocereus gounellei F.A.C. Weber ex K. Schum. (= Pseudopilocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber ex K. Schum.) Buxb.), are named after him.

Sources:
A. Lourteig, "The botanical collections of Pierre-Emile Gounelle", Brittonia, 38(3): 264-265
A. Millot, "Notice nécrologique sur P.E. Gounelle", Annales de la Ssociété Entomologique de France, 89: 109-112.