Darwin, Walsh, and Riley: The Entomological Link

On the Origin of Species, pub lished in 1859 by Charles Darwin, changed all of biology, ineluding entomology. But the entomological community, of which Darwin considered himself a member, did not entirely endorse his opinions. Reviews by entomologists drove Darwin to write Henry Bates on November 22,1860: “As you say I have been thoroughly well attacked and reviled, (especially by entomologists, Westwood, Wollaston & A. Murray have all reviewed & sneered at me to their hearts content)” (Burkhardt et al. 1993). And Darwin's view of the entomological reaction did not improve over the next three years. He wrote Charles Lyell on March 17, 1863, “The entomologists are enough to keep the subject back for half a century” (Darwin 1887).