Prof. Mahmoud Hafez

Professor Mahmoud Hafez was born on January 10, 1912. He graduated from Cairo University and obtained a BSc in Zoology in 1935. He pursued higher studies on the taxonomy, biology and ecology of flies, first in England (1937), then in Egypt, and obtained his MSc degree in 1938 and a PhD in entomology in 1940. He was a Research Fellow, Cambridge University (1946-1948).

He was appointed associate professor in 1948, and professor and head of the Department of Entomology at Cairo University in 1953. In 1964 he became vice dean, and in 1966 Under-Secretary of State for Scientific Research. He has been emeritus professor of entomology in the Faculty of Science at Cairo University since 1972. During the last fifty years, he has been largely engaged in the conducting and supervising of research on the biology, ecology, physiology and behavior of several different species.

He has published over 150 scientific papers in various fields of insect science and ten books in Zoology and Entomology. His work and experience have inspired the writing of about 80 PhD and MSc theses by students whom he supervised during the last 40 years.

For his remarkable contributions, and as the top ranking entomologist in Egypt, he was awarded the state prize and a gold medal in 1977; the Order of Merit (first grade) in 1978; and the Order of Science and Art (first grade) in 1981. He is the president of the National Research Council for Basic Sciences of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt; Chairman of the National Committee for Biological Sciences; Fellow and past president of the Egyptian Academy of Sciences; President of the Entomological Society of Egypt and of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology; President of the Egyptian Science Association; member of the Higher Council for education and Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt; Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences (1988); Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences; emeritus member of the Entomological Society of America and fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London

Dr Hafez is a founding member of the African Association of Insect Sciences; member of the Network of African Scientific Organizations; member of the International Union of Biological Sciences; member of the International Organization for Biological Control; fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences and President of the Egyptian Society for History of Science.

Areas of Research

1. Insect Biology;
2. Ecology and Behavior; and
3. Microbial Control of Insect Pests.

Most Important Published Papers

  1. Hafez, M. (1948). Ecological and biological observations on some coprophagous sepsidae (Diptera). Proc. R. ent. Soc., London (A), Vol. 23, Parts 10-12, pp. 99-104, December 1948.

  2. Hafez, M. (1950). On the behavior and sensory Physiology of the house fly larva Musca Doaestica L. I. Feeding Stage. Parasitology, Vol. 40, Nos 3&4, pp.216-236, Oct. 1950, UK.

  3. Hafez, M. and H.S. Salama (1967). Polymorphism in the males of the sugar-cane mealy-bug Saccharicoccus Sachari Okll. proc. R. ent. soc. London (A), 42 (1-3), pp. 25-29.

  4. Hafez, M., S. El-Ziady and T.Hefnawy (1970). Biochemical and physiological studies on certain ticks (Ixodoidea). Uptake of water vapour by the different developmental stages of hyalomma (H.) Dromedarii Koch (Ixodidae) and Ornithodoros (O.) Savignyl (Audouin) (Argasidae), pp. 354-361.

  5. Hafez, M., H.S. Salama, R.G. Abou-Elela and M. Ragaei (1987), Evaluation of adjuvants for use with Bacillus Thuringiensis against Heliothis Armigera. Ziet. Angew Entom, 103, 313-317.

  6. Hafez, M., Salama H.S., El-Moursy,A. and Abdel Rahman, A. (1998), A Biochemical approach to potentate the activity of bacillus thuringiensis against corn borers. Anz. Schadlingskele., Pflanzenschutz, Umweltscutz, 71: 100-103.

Contact Address

Entomology Department, Faculty of Science,
Cairo University, Giza
Cairo – Egypt.