Maria Sibylla Merian was a German-Dutch entomologist, naturalist, and scientific illustrator. She was one of the earliest European naturalists to document observations about insects directly; her work established that insects have a life cycle and do not appear by spontaneous generation. Merian was a descendant of the Frankfurt branch of the Swiss Merian family.
- Occupation
- entomologist, lepidopterist, botanist, naturalist
- Citizenship
- Dutch Republic, Germany, Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Born
- April 2, 1647
- Died
- January 13, 1717
