Jan Goedart

Johannes Goedaert (also spelled Goetaart, Goedhart, Goedaard or Jean Goedart in French) (19 March 1617 (baptized) – 15 January 1668 (buried)) was a Dutch naturalist, entomologist and painter, famous for his illustrations of the growth and metamorphosis of insects published in a three volume work as Metamorphosis Naturalis.

He was one of the earliest authors on entomology and first to write on the insects of the Netherlands and Europe, based on his own observations and experiments between 1635 and 1667.

Goedaert published, in his birthplace, a book entitled Metamorphosis Naturalis between 1660 and 1669, which was translated into French in 1668-1669 as Histoire Naturelle des Insectes, in Latin "Metamorphosis et Historia Naturalis Insectorum" and by Martin Lister in 1682 into English as Johannes Godartius of Insects with plates by Francis Place.

The life histories of parasites was not fully understood by Goedaert and he thought that caterpillars could either produce adult flies or butterflies.

[3] He stimulated interest in insects and generated further research in this field through the text and the detailed illustrations in his books.

Johannes Jr. was born in 1656 and rose to be a lieutenant in the army of William III, the Dutch Stadholder and King of England.