Societies
The council has members that represent a number of national entomological societies. A brief background and contact details for these societies is provided here:
Union of Japanese Societies for Insect Sciences
The Japanese archipelago, which was separated from the continent a long time ago, consists of many islands extending north to south, and has a unique ecosystem that has evolved in a diverse climate with four distinct seasons. Spring brings mild temperatures accompanied by cherry blossoms. Summer is hot and humid, with temperatures reaching high 20 to mid-30°C (mid -80 to mid -90°F). The rainy season occurs in June and July. Autumn offers pleasant temperatures and vibrant foliage. Winter varies across regions, with Hokkaido experiencing cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, while southern regions and central Japan, including Kyoto, have relatively milder winters with occasional snowfall.
Due to the Japan's climatic uniqueness and complex geological history, its insect fauna is both diverse and exceptional. With approximately 32,000 species, it encompasses both native and endemic insects. Japan's isolation as an archipelago has led to the evolution of numerous endemic species found nowhere else. Fireflies and cicadas are iconic insects celebrated in festivals and art. Insect collecting is a popular hobby. Japan's insect fauna not only reflects its rich biodiversity, but also holds cultural significance, making it a captivating aspect of the country's natural heritage.
The Union of Japanese Societies for Insect Sciences (UJSIS) was established to promote research and education in insect-related sciences at its inaugural meeting of the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) on 24 July 2010, and has been active with sixteen academic insect-related societies and an association enrolled in the Union as follows (as of 2023):
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The Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology
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Japanese Society of Environmental Entomology and Zoology
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The Japanese Society of Sericultural Science (Japanese site)
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The Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
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The Japanese Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry
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The Japanese Nematological Society
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Japan-ICIPE Association (ICIPE, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology)
The UJSIS organizes scientific symposia, publishes literature, promotes cooperation among member societies and an association, collaborates with the SCJ, and engages in partnerships with overseas organizations.
The 16th International Congress of Entomology was held in Kyoto, Japan in 1980 , and after 44 years, the 27th International Congress of Entomology will return to the exact same city at the exact same venue (ICE2024 Kyoto; www.ice2024.org), focusing on the theme of "New Discoveries through Consilience". The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the ICE2024 Kyoto is located within the UJSIS and is dedicated to enhancing the international presence of Japan in Entomology, facilitating meaningful academic exchange, and providing an opportunity for researchers and accompanying persons to experience Japan's culture, tradition, and nature. Young researchers are encouraged to present their work at ICE2024 Kyoto, bridging the gap between themselves and the global scientific community.
For more information, please visit http://insect-sciences.jp/index.html
The Entomological Society of America
As the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) is a champion for our field both within the United States and around the world. ESA’s motto is “Sharing Insect Science Globally.”
ESA traces its roots as far back as 1889, to the founding of the American Association of Economic Entomologists, which co-existed with ESA, founded in 1906, until the organizations merged under the ESA banner in 1953. Today, ESA counts more than 7,000 entomologists and related professionals among its members, with six geographic Branches and four discipline-based Sections: Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology; Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology; Plant–Insect Ecosystems; and Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity.
ESA’s family of scientific journals serve as a hub for entomological knowledge and showcase the broad, dynamic range of research in insect science and all its sub-specialties. They include the interdisciplinary Annals of the Entomological Society of America, the cutting-edge Insect Systematics and Diversity, the open-access, practitioner-focused Journal of Integrated Pest Management, and much more.
Every year, the ESA Annual Meeting brings roughly 3,500 entomologists and other scientists together to share their research and learn from their colleagues. A program of symposia, workshops, poster and infographic sessions, and unique keynotes provides attendees a one-of-a-kind experience to learn, network, and advance their careers. In 2016, the ESA Annual Meeting took place in conjunction with the International Congress of Entomology when ESA hosted ICE in Orlando, Florida, USA—resulting in the largest professional meeting of entomologists ever, with more than 6,600 people in attendance.
ESA also serves the entomological community—and society at large—through its influential public policy program, the Board Certified and Associate Certified Entomologist certifications, its American Entomologist magazine and Entomology Today blog, a professional-development webinar series, an online career center, and a robust collection of prestigious professional awards. And it fosters the future of entomology through the Chrysalis Fund, which awards yearly grants for programs that teach kids about insect science.
Learn more about the Entomological Society of America at www.entsoc.org.
The Dutch Entomological Society (Nederlandse Entomologische Verening)
The Dutch Entomological Society (Nederlandse Entomologische Verening) was established in 1845 and is the fourth oldest national society. But long before this year, the Dutch studied insects: Hoefnagel (circa 1600) and Hollar (circa 1650) published books with etchings of insects, the still life painter and naturalist Goedaert depicted an adult parasitoid in1662 but did not understand its biology, Swammerdam, together with the still life painter Marsilius were the first to observe and interpret the phenomenon of insect parasitism in Europe (1678), while Van Leeuwenhoek wrote an intriguing letter to the Royal Society (dated 26 October 1700 and published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Society) in which he described his discovery of aphid parasitsm with a beautiful drawing of the parasitoid (likely Aphidius ribis) and suggested that these parasitoids kept the aphid numbers low on his fruit trees in his garden in Delft.
Currently, the society has about 750 members, of which 40% are professional entomologists and 60% are amateurs. Amateurs have always made up the largest membership and always form an important part of the board of the society. The society has a number of sections dealing with taxonomy of insect (sub)orders, nature management and insect photography. Annually, five meetings are organized in which all members can participate. During the summer meeting, a several day collection trip is made to a (semi)natural area, the winter meeting is partly spent on insect identification (the so-named boxes day), the general assembly is held in spring, in fall we usually visit a company, institute or university where insects are studied and a at the end of the year, the Entomology day is organized for professional entomologists. The library of the society holds one of the largest entomological book and journal collections, including many old and unique manuscripts. The society publishes a number of journals, of which the most important are Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Tijdschrift voor Entomologie (Journal of Entomology, with taxonomic and zoogeographic papers) and Monografieën van de NEV (Monographies of the Dutch Entomological Society, with papers ranging from 74 to more than 400 pages).
Activities of the society are for a large part supported by legacies of some of its members. Information about the society can be found on: www.nev.nl
The Entomological Society of Canada
The Entomological Society of Canada was founded in Toronto on 16 April 1863, was open to “all students and lovers of Entomology”. The first officers were Prof. H. Croft, President; W. Saunders, Secretary Treasurer; and Rev. J. Hubbert, Curator. The organization flourished as interested collectors of insects showed their acquisitions at meetings, discussed the natural history of their favourite species, exchanged specimens, described and named new species, and started museum collections of Canadian insects. In 1871, at the insistence of the Ontario Government which had begun to provide funds to the Society, its name was changed to The Entomological Society of Ontario. Despite this change, the Society remained the focal point for entomology across Canada, including publication of The Canadian Entomologist is the oldest currently published entomological journal in Canada.
Following World War II, there was a nationwide rapid increase in the number of professional entomologists, especially in federal government laboratories, and it was soon recognised that their needs would be best served by a ‘new’ national society that had no implied regional bias. Thus, on 3 November 1950, The Entomological Society of Canada, as it is known today, was founded. Its founding officers were W.A. Ross, President; A.W. Baker, Vice President; W.R. Thompson, Editor; R.H. Wigmore, Secretary; A.B. Baird, Treasurer; and seven Directors.
Responsibility for publication of The Canadian Entomologist was immediately transferred to the new national group. In addition, in 1955 the Society began publication of a series of Memoirs, dealing mainly with studies in systematics. Though publication of the Memoirs ceased in 1997, after 171 issues, they are still sought after by taxonomists. The role of the Memoirs has now been taken over to some extent by the on-line Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, also published by the Society.
The Society was pivotal in the foundation of the Biological Survey of Canada (BSC) in 1977. Initially developed from a series of contracts between the Society and the federal Department of Supply and Services, the BSC became firmly established in 1980 at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (now the Canadian Museum of Nature) under a continuing partnership with the Society. In 2009 the BSC became a not-for-profit corporation in anticipation of reduced financial support from the Canadian Museum of Nature. The BSC’s ties with the ESC remain very important as the BSC’s current and future work will have a strong entomological component.
Following a persistent decline in the level of research support in federal laboratories beginning in the early 1970s, the Society became much more active in its publication of briefs, green papers, etc., and in its interactions with government. Many of its position papers were bound into the Society’s quarterly newsletter, the Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada, whose publication had begun in 1969.
The Society works closely with Canada’s seven regional entomological societies, one of which serves as the host for the Society’s Annual Meeting, an arrangement that facilitates discussion and exchange of ideas among entomologists across the country. The existence of a national society enabled Canada to serve as the host country for the quadrennial meeting of worldwide entomologists, the International Congress of Entomology: Montreal, 1956 and Vancouver, 1988.
With a current membership of around 400, including a vibrant student section, the Society remains one of the largest and oldest professional societies in Canada. See: https://esc-sec.ca
The German Society for General and Applied Entomology
The DGaaE ("German Society for General and Applied Entomology") unites entomologists working in research and practice, both professionally and by vocation. It is the task of the society to promote the knowledge of entomology and research on entomological problems. The society serves to fulfil these tasks by promoting personal contacts, information exchange and cooperation with full-time and part-time entomologists and with scientific societies in Germany and abroad. There are active working groups on various entomological topics, some of which are run jointly with other societies. For special achievements in basic entomological research the Society regularly awards the Fabricius Medal, in the field of applied research the Karl Escherich Medal, and in the field of systematics and faunistics the Meigen Medal. Every two years the Society awards the Weiss/Wiehe Foundation Prize for the outstanding work of a young scientist on an entomological topic (e.g. for a dissertation). The Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie contains publications on the lectures and posters delivered during the biennial entomology conferences. Three to four issues of the DGaaE-Nachrichten are published annually for mutual information of the members. The subscription to these two publications is included in the membership fee. In 2006 the Journal of Applied Entomology became an official publication of the DGaaE. Every two years the DGaaE organizes a scientific lecture conference (Entomologists' Conference) on all areas of entomology and a workshop (Insects' Conferences) on selected current topics in applied entomology.
The entomologists' conferences take place in odd years at changing locations. There, scientists from research institutions in Germany and abroad, amateur entomologists and the working groups of the DGaaE present their results. The conferences last one week and the lectures are usually held in four parallel sessions. The insect conferences take place in even years at changing locations. These workshops are held together with the German Phytomedical Society (DPG). There are informal presentations and plenty of room for discussion. The results of a workshop are published in the form of a white paper in the society's news bulletin. Currently the DGaaE comprises some 800 members worldwide.
History: The DGaaE was created in 1976 from the merger of the DEG (German Entomological Society) and the DGaE (German Society for Applied Entomology). The forerunner of DEG was founded in 1856 at the instigation of the beetle researcher Dr Gustav Kraatz as the Entomological Society of Berlin. In 1881, the entomologists whose research interest was mainly focused on beetles joined together within this association under the name of Deutsche Entomologische Gesellschaft. From 1857 on, the Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift was published as a scientific journal, which still exists today as the Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. The DGaE was founded in 1913 by the forest entomologist Prof. Dr Karl Escherich. In the post-war period, mainly hobby entomologists had organised themselves in the DEG, while professional entomologists united in the DGaE. This separation became increasingly unclear over time as more and more entomologists were members of both societies. Discussions about merging the two societies began in 1956. The protracted merger negotiations were started in 1969 and ended in 1976 with the unification to the DGaaE.
More information can be found here: https://www.dgaae.de/en/
The Entomological Society of Brazil
The Entomological Society of Brazil (SEB) is a non-profit civil organization that was established on February 22, 1972, during the Meeting of Agricultural Entomology held in the city of Uruçuca, in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The society was founded by 43 entomologists with the aim of bringing together professionals and individuals interested in the study of Entomology and its applications for the benefit of humanity.
SEB focuses on promoting the exchange of knowledge among professionals in the field of Entomology, stimulating research, and disseminating information about the subject. To achieve these objectives, SEB organizes various events and publishes scientific journals and newsletters. The society is also active on social media platforms under the handle @seb.entomologia. Two major events organized by SEB are the Brazilian Congress of Entomology and the Biological Control Symposium, which take place every two years. These events provide a platform for professionals to present their research, discuss advancements in Entomology, and foster collaborations. SEB recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of Entomology through awards and honors given to entomologists who have made significant achievements in their work. SEB publishes the SEB Newsletter, which has been in circulation since 1972. In addition, the society publishes the journals Neotropical Entomology, Entomological Communications, and BioAssay.
SEB hosted the XXI International Congress of Entomology in the year 2000, further emphasizing its role in promoting international collaborations and knowledge exchange in the field of Entomology.
Currently, the headquarters of the Entomological Society of Brazil is located in the city of Viçosa, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This serves as a central hub for the society's activities and administration. For more information about SEB, its activities, and publications, you can visit our website at https://www.seb.org.br/index.php.
The “Sociedad Entomológica Argentina” (SEA)
The “Sociedad Entomológica Argentina” (SEA) is one of the oldest scientific societies in the country, created in 1925. The SEA is dedicated to connecting people interested in insects and promotes activities related to the knowledge and research of insects and other arthropods in different aspects of systematics, ecology, biogeography, genetics, behavior, agricultural pests, medical-veterinary entomology, among other biological areas. The Society currently has over 350 members from Argentina and abroad (Australia, Bolivia, Brasil, Canadá, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, EEUU, México, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela). The Society publishes a tri-annual, open access, peer-reviewed scientific journal (member publish for-free) “Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina” and a tri-annual Newsletter, “Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina”. The Society supports the Argentine Congress of Entomology held every three years since 1987.
The Russian Entomological Society (REO)
The Russian Entomological Society (REO) is a union of professional and amateur entomologists established in 1859 in Saint Petersburg by Karl Ernst von Baer, Johann Friedrich von Brandt (who was then the director of the Zoological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Ya. A. Kushakevich, Colonel Alexander Karlovich Manderstern, Alexander von Middendorff, Colonel of General Staff Victor Ivanovitsch Motschulsky, and Ferdinand Morawitz. REO is one of the oldest scientific biological societies in the country. The Society has changed its name several times, and during the Soviet period was called the All-Union Entomological Society.
The main goal of REO is to popularize entomological knowledge, promote teaching of Entomology and develop relationships with foreign scientists. The Central Council and Presidium of the Society are located in Saint Petersburg; basically, in the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Universitetskaya emb., 1. Karl Ernst von Baer was elected the first President of the Society. Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences Andrey V. Selikhovkin (Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University) is the current (13th) President of the Society (since 2012; reelected in 2017).
In 1860, the Society consisted of 106 members, in 1959 there were 1960 members, 3130 in 1978, 2000 in 2002, and in 2018 there were about 800 members. Since 1861, the Society has published its proceedings (Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae; currently – Proceedings of The Russian Entomological Society), and since 1901 the journal Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie [= Entomological Review] (until 1933 as Russkoye Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie [= Russian Entomological Review]). Currently, Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie is published under the umbrella of the Russian Academy of Sciences, translated into English and published as Entomological Review (https://www.springer.com/journal/11474). Other publications of the Society are listed here (https://www.zin.ru/societies/res/rus/periodicals.html). REO has 28 regional branches. General meetings of the Society are organized once every 5 years. The latest one was in 2017 (July 31 – August 6) in Novosibirsk. The Society has its official web site: https://www.zin.ru/societies/res/index.html
Taiwan Entomological Society
Taiwan's geographic location straddles the subtropical and tropical regions. The islands are full of mountains and vary greatly in altitude, which has created Taiwan's rich natural resources and biodiversity. There are more than 23,000 species of Taiwanese insects recorded in TaiCOL (https://taicol.tw/), but it is estimated that there are about 200,000 species of insects in Taiwan. According to the 2008 species list, the number of insect species per unit area in Taiwan ranks among the top in the world. For example, 423 species of butterflies earned it the title "Butterfly Kingdom".
The Taiwan Entomological Society was founded in 1980, formerly known as the Entomological Society of the Republic of China, and changed its name to the Taiwan Entomological Society in 2001. It is a non-profit society established to promote the research, development, and international academic exchanges of entomology in Taiwan. Hold annual entomological conferences and seminars, participate in the International Entomological Society, and promote public issues related to insects and agriculture. About 70% of the members are scholars and researchers from academic and government institutions; the rest are entomology students and insect-related companies and groups.
The academic journal issued by the society is “Formosan Entomologist” (formerly the “Chinese Journal of Entomology”), which has been changed to an electronic journal since volume 35 in 2015, an open-access electronic journal. The website of the journal is http://entsocjournal.yabee.com.tw/.
The Taiwan Entomological Society has various awards and subsidies, such as the "Professor Sato Academic Award for Insect Taxonomy" which encourages undergraduates, postgraduates, and postdoctoral researchers to study insect taxonomy abroad; the "Ching-Huan Cheng Agricultural Entomology Academic Award" hopes to recognize young researchers in Asia who have made contributions to the field of practical application in agricultural entomology; the " Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award" recognizes professional research in Asia that has made significant contributions to the area of entomology. The society also actively promotes popular science education and sets up prizes at National Science Fair to encourage elementary and high school students to study insects. For more information about the Taiwan Entomological Society, please visit our website at https://entsoc.org.tw/.
Entomological Society of New Zealand
The Entomological Society of New Zealand was formed in 1951 to provide a common meeting ground for everyone interested in entomology in New Zealand. The Society aims to stimulate interest, encourage amateurs, and promote the profession of entomology by organising meetings, publishing information, awarding research and travel grants, and other activities. The Society welcomes and respects the diversity of its members. Anyone with a professional or amateur interest in New Zealand insects and related groups is warmly invited to join and contribute to the society.
The Society’s membership currently stands at approximately 330. The Society has a flagship journal, The New Zealand Entomologist, which publishes entomological research on the taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology, management and conservation of insects of New Zealand and Australasia. It is currently published twice a year though Taylor and Francis. Back issues of the New Zealand Entomologist are available on the Taylor and Francis website. The Wētā is the news bulletin of the Society. It publishes observations, news, views and research results that may not be suitable for publication in the New Zealand Entomologist. Back issues are available online.
The Society has a number of annual awards and prizes that are announced at the Annual General Meeting and Conference. The society’s research fund was established at the 21st Anniversary Conference in 1972. The initial capital of the fund was the excess realised from the conference activities. An appeal among members, institutions and commercial firms substantially increased this sum and it is still being augmented by donations from members and others, and through the profits from the sale of conference publications. Dr K.J. Fox was the society’s first ‘amateur’ Vice President. Following his death in 1985, a memorial fund was established to provide grants to assist ‘amateur’ (non-funded) members of the society to attend the annual conference. The first awards were made in 1988. Best student paper and poster are presented at the annual conference. The first of these awards were made in 1998 following a generous gift by Bruce Given a fellow of the society. More details about the Society are available at its website, https://ento.org.nz/ and in the article, A short history of New Zealand entomology and the society, published in The New Zealand Entomologist.
Italian Entomological Society
The animal diversity in Italy consists of about 60,000 species, with 38,500 estimated Hexapoda. This large diversity has always spurred an interest in insects and consequently the Italian Entomology has an old history, possibly starting with Publius Vergilius Maro, and afterwards with experimental methods conceived by two impressive post-Renaissance scientists as F. Redi (1626-1698) and M. Malpighi (1628-1694). In the pre-unitary period, naturalists such as G.A. Scopoli (1723-1788), P. Rossi (1738-1804), V. Petagna (1734-1810), O.G. Costa (1787-1867), G. Gené (1800-1847) increased taxonomic and faunistic studies.
The Italian Entomological Society was officially founded on 31 October 1869, on the initiative of the Irish hymenopterologist A.H. Haliday, living in Tuscany, in the fruitful period of the new Italian Kingdom and the transfer of the capital in Florence. He promoted the new society with C. Rondani from Parma, some Florentine entomologists, and some others from the whole new state. In January 1869, the first issue of the “Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana” was published, still active, and in March members were by then 120. After the first World War and a difficult social period, the Society was transferred to Genova (1922) at the Civic Museum of Natural History, where numerous local entomologists, coordinated by R. Gestro promoted a new active phase and a new statute. The old journal was renewed as Bollettino, and the new “Memorie” were published to contain the more conspicuous articles. Both journals are still published. Between the XIX and XX centuries applied Entomology greatly developed, especially in Agriculture and Medicine, drove by experts as A. Berlese, F. Silvestri, and G.B. Grassi. A new crisis due to the II World War, which caused the destruction of a large part of the library of the Society, was slowly crossed, and both the basic and applied Entomology were renewed, the number of members increased (up to almost one thousand), and in 1968 the “Informatore del Giovane Entomologo” started the publication to support young entomologists. In this period relevant entomologists were G. Grandi, B. Baccetti and S. Ruffo who promoted projects in both applied and basic research.
In 1950, the Italian National Academy of Entomology was also founded in Florence, and between the latter and the Society grew a solid collaboration culminated with the organization of the XX International Congress of Entomology (Florence, 1996) and of the XI European Congress of Entomology (Naples, 2018).
Australian Entomological Society
Australia’s unique biodiversity and its reliance on agricultural industries have led to a long history of entomological research. The Australian Entomological Society was founded in 1965, partly in response to the need for a national society to coordinate a bid for an International Congress of Entomology meeting to be held in Australia. An ICE meeting was held in 1972 in Canberra and in 2004 in Brisbane. In 2013 the society became a company coordinated by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. The society’s membership currently stands at approximately 400.
The society has a journal, Austral Entomology, which encourages submissions that feature entomological research carried out on insect biota of the southern hemisphere. In fact, the journal was founded and named as the Journal of the Australian Entomological Society by the Entomological Society of Queensland before the national society was formed. The journal was re-named The Australian Journal of Entomology in 1996 and took on its current title in 2014. The chief editor is a member of the governing board. The AES newsletter, Myrmecia is named after the society’s emblematic insect, the bull ant, Myrmecia gulosa.
The society has a number of annual awards and prizes that are announced at the Annual General Meeting and Conference. The Mackerras Medal is awarded to a mid-career entomologist who has demonstrated excellence in entomology. The Pat Marks Medal is a lifetime achievement award to a member who has achieved an outstanding lifetime career in entomology and made a significant contribution to the Society. The Phil Carne Prize is the Society's student award based upon consideration of a scientific paper primarily authored by the student. The awards are named after eminent entomologists who played major roles in the society. More details about the society are available at its website, Australian Entomological Society and in the article, The history of the Australian entomological society, published in Austral Entomology.
Entomological Society of China
The Entomological Society of China (ESC) was founded on October 12, 1944. ESC is dedicating to promote the development and popularization of Entomology, the collaboration of economy and entomological science and technology, and to speed up the growth of the young scholars who is working in entomology.
ESC held the XIX ICE in June 1992 in Beijing, as the first ICE in developing countries. XIX ICE was chaired by Professor Hongfu Zhu (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences). It was an unprecedented big event in the Chinese entomology community, and finished on a successful note. Over 3000 representatives from 73 countries or regions attended the conference and submitted nearly 4000 papers.
In recent decades, particularly since the previous ICE in Beijing in 1992, China is renowned for its rapid development in entomology. Currently, ESC consists of 5 working committees, 26 specialized committees and 7 scientific journals. There are 13,598 individual memberships in ESC.