Anna Foà (16 January 1876 – 1/2 July 1944) was an Italian

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

. Foà was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

on 16 January 1876. She studied under

Giovanni Battista Grassi Giovanni Battista Grassi (27 March 1854 – 4 May 1925) was an Italian physician and zoologist, best known for his pioneering works on parasitology, especially on malariology. He was Professor of Comparative Zoology at the University of Catani ...

at the

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a Public university, public research university l ...

, where she graduated with a

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

mites Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

. Foà's scientific publications were typically through in-house journals and co-authored with Grassi, with whom she published a study on

flagellate A flagellate is a cell or organism with one or more whip-like appendages called flagella. The word ''flagellate'' also describes a particular construction (or level of organization) characteristic of many prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their ...

structure and reproduction in 1904. In 1905, Foà began working as an entomologist at the Royal Antiphiloxeric Observatory in

Fauglia Fauglia () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about southeast of Pisa. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,298 and an area of .All demographi ...

, where she worked with Grassi to study ways to combat

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...

infestations by exploiting the insect's reproductive cycle. Foà, in collaboration with Grassi and other collaborators, published their findings on various phylloxerine species in 1912, which included the description of four new species. Foà worked as Grassi's

research assistant A research assistant (RA) is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university, a research institute or a privately held organization, for the purpose of assisting in academic or private research. Research assistants are not in ...

and

teaching assistant A teaching assistant or teacher's aide (TA) or education assistant (EA) or team teacher (TT) is an individual who assists a teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include ''graduate teaching assistants'' (GTAs), who are graduate school ...

for over 25 years. While working in Fauglia, Foà was influential in promoting entomology among women, as she supervised the mixed-sex undergraduates instructed by Grassi. In 1917, Foà began working for the Italian government to oversee the import and export of plants. Beginning in 1918, Foà shifted the focus of her research to

silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...

s and infections caused in silkworms by ''

Nosema bombycis Nosema bombycis is a species of Microsporidia of the genus '' Nosema'' infecting silkworms, responsible for pébrine. This species was the first microsporidium described, when pebrine decimated silkworms in farms in the mid-19th century. This des ...

''. Grassi's support of her allowed for Foà to work as a professor despite being a woman. In 1921, she began teaching at the Royal Agricultural School in

Portici Portici (; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples in Italy. It is the site of the Portici Royal Palace. Geography Portici lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples, about southeast of Naples itself. There i ...

, and she received

academic tenure Tenure is a category of academic appointment existing in some countries. A tenured post is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program disco ...

in 1924. As of 1931, she was one of only four woman professors in Italy, and the only one besides

Rina Monti Cesarina Monti, better known as Rina Monti and, sometimes, as Rina Monti Stella (Arcisate, 16 August 1871 – Pavia, 25 January 1937), was an Italian scientist. A biologist, physiologist, limnologist and zoologist, in 1907 she became the first wom ...

to have tenure. Due to her Jewish heritage, Foà was forced to leave her position in academia following the implementation of the Italian racial laws of 1938. Foà died on 1 July or 2 July, 1944.

References

19th-century Italian scientists 19th-century Italian women scientists 20th-century Italian biologists 20th-century Italian scientists 20th-century Italian women scientists Italian entomologists Italian women biologists Jewish Italian scientists Women entomologists 1876 births 1944 deaths Sapienza University of Rome alumni {{Italy-scientist-stub