Paul Alfred Daniel Marchal (27 September 1862, Paris, – 2 March 1942, Paris) was a French entomologist. He was president of the French Entomological Society (''

Société entomologique de France The Société entomologique de France, or French Entomological Society, is devoted to the study of insects. The society was founded in 1832 in Paris, France. The society was created by eighteen Parisian entomologists on January 31, 1832. The first ...

'') in 1907. He was president of the French Zoological Society (''

Société zoologique de France La Société zoologique de France ( en, "Zoological Society of France"), founded in 1876 by Aimé Bouvier, is a scientific society devoted to Zoology. It publishes a bulletin and organises the Prix Gadeau de Kerville de la Société zoologique d ...

'') in 1909. In 1883 Marchal received his undergraduate degree from the Academy of Paris (

University of France The University of France (french: Université de France; originally the ''Imperial University of France'') was a highly centralized educational state organization founded by Napoleon I in 1808 and given authority not only over the individual (previ ...

). In 1889 he received a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

in medicine and in 1892 a doctorate in science, from the same institution. Marchal worked for the French government in Paris as an entomologist for the

Ministry of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

. In 1894 he became chief-of-staff of the entomology section, and in 1910 he became Director of the entomology station in Paris. In 1898 he started teaching at the ''Institut national agronomique'' (National Institute of Agriculture) and in 1900 he was appointed as a professor of applied zoology and agriculture. In 1912, based on the American experience with '' Novius cardinalis'' and the earlier work of Raymond Poutiers, he made the first release of acclimatized

ladybug Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as they ...

s in Europe, in Alpes-Maritimes in southeastern France, for the biological control of cochineal scale.''Annales des épiphyties: mémoires et rapports présentés au Comité des épiphyties sur les travaux et missions de 1912'' volume I, 1913, Paris, Ministère de l'agriculture. Marchal was a member of the French Academy of Sciences from 1912 until his death in 1942.

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