Royal Entomological Society

The Royal Entomological Society is devoted to the study of

insects. Its aims are to disseminate information about insects
Royal Entomological Society
and improving communication between entomologists.

The society was founded in 1833 as the Entomological

Society of London. It had many antecedents beginning as the
Society of Entomologists of London.
Established 1833 (191 years ago)
History Revenue 1,344,104 pound
sterling (2018)
The foundation of the society began with a meeting of
"gentlemen and friends of entomological science", held on 3 Employees 9 (2019, 2018)
May 1833 in the British Museum convened by Nicholas Volunteers 100 (2020, 2021)
Aylward Vigors with the presidency of John George Children.
Those present were the Reverend Frederick William Hope, Cardale Babington, William Yarrell, John
Edward Gray, James Francis Stephens, Thomas Horsfield, George Thomas Rudd and George Robert Gray.
Letters of Adrian Hardy Haworth, George Bennett and John Curtis were read where they expressed their
regrets to be unable to attend the meeting.

They decided that a society should be created for the promotion of the science of entomology in its various
branches and it should be called the Entomological Society of London. J. G. Children, F. W. Hope, J. F.
Stephens, W. Yarrell and G. Rudd were elected to form a committee, with G. R. Gray as secretary. J. G.
Children became the first president and William Kirby (1759–1850) was made honorary president for life.
The real date of the foundation of the society was more probably on 22 May 1833, when the members met
in Thatched House Tavern, on St James's Street. During this meeting, George Robert Waterhouse (1810–
1888) was elected librarian and curator of the insects and records. As of this meeting, foreign honorary
members were elected: Johann Cristoph Friedrich Klug (1775–1856), Wilhem de Haan (1801–1855),
Victor Audouin (1797–1841), Johann Ludwig Christian Gravenhorst (1777–1857), Christian Rudolph
Wilhelm Wiedemann (1770–1840), Carl Eduard Hammerschmidt (1800–1874) and Alexandre Louis
Lefèbvre de Cérisy (1798–1867). William Blandell Spence (1813–1900) received the task of maintaining of
the relations with continental entomologists.

The society started to assemble a library, an early addition being the personal library of Adrian Hardy
Haworth (1767–1833), purchased by John Obadiah Westwood (1805–1893) on behalf of the society. The
insect collection also increased.

In September 1834, the society numbered 117 honorary members and 10 full members. Women were
allowed membership and benefited from the same rights as the men. A publication commenced in
November 1834 under the title Transactions of the Entomological Society of London.

Secretary G. R. Gray resigned in the same year then and was replaced by J. O. Westwood. Under the
impulse of this last entomologist, who had many functions, the society made great strides. It was in
particular attended regularly by Charles Darwin (1809–1882) on his return from the voyage on H.M.S.
Beagle: he became a member of the council and vice-president in 1838. J. O. Westwood left his functions in
1848 and was replaced by Edward Doubleday (1810–1849) and William Frederick Evans. They in their
turn were soon replaced. In 1849, a secretary charged to collect the minutes of the meetings was named in
the person of John William Douglas (1814–1905), a position he kept until 1856. He was assisted in 1851–
1852 by Henry Tibbats Stainton (1822–1892), in 1853-1854 by William Wing (1827–1855), in 1855-1856
by Edwin Shepherd who then replaced J.W. Douglas in his position. Edward Wesley Janson (1822–91), a
natural history agent, publisher and entomologist was Curator of the Entomological Society collections from
1850–63 and librarian from 1863–74.

Edward Mason Janson (1847–1880) took over the post of curator from Frederick Smith (1805–1879) who
then left to work in the British Museum. H. T. Stainton, who was involved more and more in the life of the
society, seemed to have some problems working with E. M. Janson. He was replaced by W. Wing in 1852.
In this year, the society moved from its building at 17, Old Bond Street to 12, Bedford Row. The following
year, three of the four most responsible for the society were replaced: Edward Newman (1801–1876) took
the place of J. O. Westwood as president, Samuel Stevens (1817–1899) took the place of W. Yarrell as
treasurer and W. Wing the place of H. T. Stainton as secretary.

In 1885 Queen Victoria granted the society its royal charter. In 1933, the society's centenary year, King
George V granted it the privilege of adding the word "Royal" to its title, making it the Royal Entomological
Society.

Structure and activities

The society's patron is Her Majesty The Queen and its vice-patron is The Earl of Selborne. The society is
governed by its council, which is chaired by the society's president, according to a set of by-laws. The
members of council, the president and the other officers are elected from the society's fellowship and
membership. The aim of the Royal Entomological Society is the improvement and diffusion of
entomological science. This is achieved through publications, scientific meetings, supporting and funding
entomological expeditions, and public events.[1] The society maintains an entomological library at its
headquarters in St Albans, UK.[2] and convenes over 15 special interest groups, covering a range of
scientific fields within entomology.[3]

With the support of over 60 partner organisations,[4] the society organises National Insect Week, a biennial
initiative to engage the public with the importance of insects and entomology, through hundreds of events
and activities across the UK.[5] The society also organises Insect Festivals, a biennial series of one day
events in York and Bristol celebrating insects and entomology.[6] In 2016 the society held its first EntoSci
conference, EntoSci16, to promote entomology to 14 to 18 year olds, the event is now held biennially.

In 2022 the society announced it will sponsor a garden at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show with the
charity Project Giving Back, the garden will be designed by Tom Massey and will have habitats for
different types of insects and a laboratory to study them.[7][8]

Publications
The society publishes seven scientific journals:

Agricultural and Forest Entomology

Ecological Entomology
Insect Conservation and Diversity
Insect Molecular Biology
Medical and Veterinary Entomology
Physiological Entomology
 Systematic Entomology

Members and fellows receive the quarterly entomological news

journal Antenna.

The society also publishes a series of handbooks on the

identification of insects. The aim of these handbooks is to provide
illustrated identification keys to the insects of Britain, together
with concise morphological, biological and distributional
information. The series also includes several Check Lists of
British Insects. All books contain line drawings, with the most
recent volumes including colour photographs. In recent years,
new volumes in the series have been published by Field Studies
Council, and benefit from association with the AIDGAP
identification guides and Synopses of the British Fauna.

Fellowship
Plate from Transactions of the
The Royal Entomological Society has an international
Entomological Society for 1848
membership and invites applications for Fellowship from those
who have made a substantial contribution to entomology, through
publications or other evidence of achievement. Applications are referred to a Committee of Council, who
then forward a recommendation to Council. Fellows are entitled to make use of the title "Fellow of the
Royal Entomological Society" and the suffix "FRES" may be regarded as an academic qualification.[9]

Awards
As is customary, the RES gives various awards.[10] These include:

RES Goodman Award

Marsh Award for Insect Conservation
Alfred Russel Wallace Award
J. O. Westwood Medal
Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture

Badge
On the foundation of the Entomological Society in 1833 William Kirby was made Honorary Life President
and Stylops melittae (then known as Stylops kirbyi) was adopted as the society's symbol. The seal was first
used for a letter by the society to William Kirby, which was signed by the President and 30 members in
1836 to thank him for presenting the society with a cabinet
containing his entire insect collection. William Kirby was
responsible for classifying the Strepsiptera as a separate order. The
society's badge has remained almost unchanged since its first
use.[11]

Officers

Honorary life Presidents

1833–1850: William Kirby
Royal Entomological Society badge
1883–1893: John Obadiah Westwood
1933–1943: Edward Bagnall Poulton

Presidents

The following persons have been presidents of the society:[12]

1833–1834: John George Children

1835–1836: Frederick William Hope
1837–1838: James Francis Stephens
1839–1840: Frederick William Hope
1841–1842: William Wilson Saunders
1843–1844: George Newport
1845–1846: Frederick William Hope
1847–1848: William Spence
1849–1850: George Robert Waterhouse
1852–1853: John Obadiah Westwood
1853–1854: Edward Newman
1855–1856: John Curtis
1856–1857: William Wilson Saunders
1858–1859: John Edward Gray
1860–1861: John William Douglas
1862–1863: Frederick Smith
1864–1865: Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe
1866–1867: John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
1868–1869: Henry Walter Bates
1870–1871: Alfred Russel Wallace
1874–1875: William Wilson Saunders
1878: Henry Walter Bates
1879–1880: John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
1881–1882: Henry Tibbats Stainton
1883–1884: Joseph William Dunning
1885–1886: Robert McLachlan
1887–1888: David Sharp
1889–1890: Lord Thomas de Grey Walsingham
1891–1892: Frederick DuCane Godman
1893–1894: Henry John Elwes
1895–1896: Raphael Meldola
1897–1898: Roland Trimen
1899–1900: George Henry Verrall
1901–1902: William Weekes Fowler
1903–1904: Edward Bagnall Poulton
1905–1906: Frederick Merrifield
1907–1908: Charles Owen Waterhouse
1909–1910: Frederick Augustus Dixey
1911–1912: Francis David Morice
1913–1914: George Thomas Bethune-Baker
1915–1916: Nathaniel Charles Rothschild
1917–1918: Charles Joseph Gahan
1919–1920: James John Walker
1921–1922: Lionel Walter Rothschild
1923–1924: Edward Ernest Green
1927–1928: James Edward Collin
1929–1930: Karl Jordan
1931–1932: Harry Eltringham
1933–1934: Edward Bagnall Poulton
1934–1935: Sheffield Airey Neave
1936–1937: Augustus Daniel Imms
1938–1939: John Claud Fortescue Fryer
1940–1941: Kenneth Gloyne Blair
1942–1943: Patrick Alfred Buxton
1943–1944: Edward Alfred Cockayne
1945–1946: Geoffrey Douglas Hale Carpenter
1947–1948: Carrington Bonsor Williams
1949–1950: Sir Vincent Brian Wigglesworth
1951–1952: Norman Denbigh Riley
1953–1954: Patrick Alfred Buxton
1955–1956: Wilfrid John Hall
1957–1958: Owain Westmacott Richards
1959–1960: Boris Petrovitch Uvarov
1961–1962: George Copley Varley
1963–1964: Sir Vincent Brian Wigglesworth
1965–1966: Eric Omar Pearson
1967–1968: John Stodart Kennedy
1969–1970: Howard Everest Hinton
1971–1972: Colin Gasking Butler
1973–1974: Anthony David Lees
1975–1976: Donald Livingston Gunn
1977–1978: John David Gillett
 1979–1980: Reginald Charles Rainey
1981–1982: Helmut Fritz van Emden
1983–1984: Sir Thomas Richard Edmund Southwood
1985–1986: Trevor Lewis
1987–1988: Victor Frank Eastop
1989–1990: Jack P. Dempster
1991–1992: Sir Cyril Astley Clarke
1993–1994: Miriam Louisa Rothschild
1995–1996: Richard Lane
1997–1998: Walter M. Blaney
1999–2000: Roger L. Blackman
2001–2002: Michael Frederick Claridge
2002–2004: Christopher Peter Haines
2004–2006: Hugh David Loxdale
2006–2008: Jim Hardie
2008–2010: Linda M. Field
2010–2012: Stuart Edward Reynolds
2012–2014: Jeremy A. Thomas
2014–2016: John A. Pickett
2016–2018: Michael Hassell
2018–2020: Chris D. Thomas
2020–2022: Helen Roy
2022- : Jane Hill

See also
Fellows of the Royal Entomological Society (of London)
Royal Entomological Society Handbooks

References
1. "About the Society - our aims" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130724111327/http://www.roy
ensoc.co.uk/about/our_aims.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.royensoc.co.uk/abo
ut/our_aims.htm) on 24 July 2013.
2. "About the Library" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100221025146/http://www.royensoc.co.u
k/library/about.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.royensoc.co.uk/library/about.htm)
on 21 February 2010.
3. "About the Library" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100221025146/http://www.royensoc.co.u
k/library/about.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.royensoc.co.uk/library/about.htm)
on 21 February 2010.
4. "Our Partners - National Insect Week" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130809082948/http://w
ww.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/about/partners.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.nati
onalinsectweek.co.uk/about/partners.htm) on 9 August 2013.
5. "National Insect Week" (http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/).
6. "Outreach" (https://www.royensoc.co.uk/outreach). Royal Entomological Society. 21 July
2017. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
 7. " 'Bees get all the credit': slugs and snails among 2023 Chelsea flower show stars" (https://w
ww.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/20/unpopular-insects-to-be-stars-of-chelsea-flow
er-show-royal-entomological-society). the Guardian. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October
2022.
8. "RES will highlight crucial role of insects with first ever RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden"
(https://www.hortweek.com/article/1802781?utm_source=website&utm_medium=social).
www.hortweek.com. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
9. RES, 2009. Website of the Royal Entomological Society of London/ (http://www.royensoc.co.
uk)
10. "Awards" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130724111801/http://royensoc.co.uk/about/awards.
htm). Archived from the original (http://www.royensoc.co.uk/about/awards.htm) on 24 July
2013.
11. President Address - Hugh Loxdale, 3 May 2006
12. List of Fellows and members, Royal Entomological Society, 2002

External links
Official website (https://www.royensoc.co.uk/)
Insect Week (https://www.insectweek.co.uk/)
BHL (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/11516) Digitised Transactions
Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=EMwEAAAAQAAJ&q=transactions+ento
mological) Volume 1 of the Transactions
Royal Entomological Society publications page (https://www.royensoc.co.uk/publications/)
(includes a selection of out of print handbooks available as downloads)

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