Herbert Willoughby Ellis


Herbert Willoughby Ellis was a British entomologist.

Biography

Ellis was born in Woodville, Burton-upon-Trent. He attended Nuneaton School and Coppers Hill College before training as an electrician.
In 1890 he joined the Birmingham Natural History and Philosophical Society. He served as a Vice-President of the society in 1907 and then from 1910 to 1939, and as its President in 1908 and 1909. Ellis was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society in 1900 and he served on its council in 1924, 1931, 1936, and 1938. He was also a member of the British Ornithologists' Union and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London.
Ellis was an avid collector of entomology, especially of coleoptera and amassed a large reference collection. He was responsible for finding and recording the discovery of Arhopalus ferus as new to Britain. He also corresponded and exchanged specimens with William Gabriel Blatch, acquiring some of Blatch's collection after his death.
After his death, Reginald Wagstaffe and Walter Douglas Hincks were instrumental in purchasing part of his collection for the Yorkshire Museum. Over 100,000 specimens were purchased in 1945.

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