Max Barclay
Maxwell V L Barclay FRES is a British entomologist, and Curator and Collections Manager of Coleoptera and Hemiptera at the Natural History Museum in London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, and a member of the editorial board of The Coleopterist journal. He has been described as ‘one of Britain’s leading entomologists’.
Career
Barclay is one of the four virtual ‘Scientist Guides’ of the Natural History Museum’s new Darwin Centre and was among the group that showed the building to Prince William at its 2009 opening. He is a frequent public speaker and media spokesman for entomology and the Museum, most notably appearing in three of the six episodes of the 2010 BBC Series Museum of Life presented by Jimmy Doherty. He believes that public speaking is important 'to enthuse the next generation of scientists and naturalists, and to legitimise what we do in the eyes of the public'. In 2016 he gave the Royal Entomological Society's Verrall Lecture speaking on 'Collections: the last great frontiers of exploration'. In 2008 he was involved in the identification of a species of bug new to Britain in the Museum’s garden.Barclay is best known for his work on beetles, and is author of scientific papers and co-editor of a text book on the subject. He worked as a volunteer in the Department of Entomology for several years before being offered the post of Curator in 2001. The collection of the Natural History Museum that he manages includes more than 20,000 drawers of beetles, including specimens collected by Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. He has travelled extensively in search of specimens, including to Bolivia, Peru, Taiwan and Thailand, and has discovered new species.
Recognition
106 beetle taxa have been named in his honour by fellow scientists, including:CarabidaeGoniotropis barclayi Deuve, 2005 Platynus barclayi Schmidt, 2009Orictites barclayi Balkenohl, 2017Brachinus barclayi Hrdlička, 2019Rugiluclivina barclayi Bulirsch & Magrini, 2025
HydrophilidaeBerosus barclayi Ponomarenko & Soriano, 2019
PtiliidaeAcrotrichis barclayi Darby, 2014
StaphylinidaeNaddia barclayi Rougemont, 2016Asimos barclayi Chatzimanolis, 2023Loncovilius barclayi Reyes-Hernandez, Kappel Hansen, Jenkins Shaw & Solodovnikov, 2023Paraphloeostiba barclayi Shavrin, 2024
ScarabaeidaeIxorida ''barclayi Legrand, 2008Gynaecoserica barclayi Ahrens, 2009Clinterocera barclayi Legrand & Chew, 2010Copris barclayi Ochi, 2010Protaetia maxwelli Jakl, 2011Madecorphnus barclayi Frolov, 2012Bietia barclayi Krajcik, 2012 Onthophagus maxwellianus Moretto, 2013Mesomerodon barclayi Seidel, Jameson & Stone, 2017Rhyparus barclayi Ochi et al., 2019Rhyparus telnovietbarclayi Minkina & Jákl, 2024 Wernoryctes barclayi Takano, 2020Bilga barclayi Lacroix, Coache & Filippi, 2023
CantharidaeThemus barclayi Svihla, 2006
HeteroceridaeTropicus maxwelli Skalicky, 2010
LimnichidaePhalacrichus max Ribera & Hernando, 2001
ThroscidaeTrixagus barclayi Kirejtshuk, 2019
EucnemidaeBioxylus barclayi Otto, 2016
ElateridaeAthous barclayi Platia, 2010
PtinidaeClada barclayi Zahradník & Trýzna, 2018
DermestidaeOrphinus barclayi Hava & Matsumoto, 2021 Anthrenus barclayi Háva, 2019Thaumaglossa barclayi Kadej and Háva, 2015
ScirtidaeScirtes maxi Yoshitomi & Ruta, 2010Cyphon barclayi Yoshitomi, 2012
PsephenidaeFalsodrupeus barclayi Lee, 2011Homoeogenus barclayi Lee, 2016
BuprestidaeEndelus barclayi Kalashian, 2011Aphanisticus barclayi Kalashian & Kubáň, 2014Sphenoptera barclayi Kalashian, 2017Taphrocerus barclayi Marek, 2019
LycidaeSulabanus barclayi Dvorak & Bocak, 2007Alyculus barclayi Palata & Bocak, 2012
CoccinellidaeSerratibia barclayi Gordon, Canepari & Hanley, 2013
HelotidaeNeohelota barclayi Lee, 2015
NitidulidaePocadius barclayi Cline, 2005
LatridiidaeCartodere barclayi Rücker, 2012
AderidaeZarcosia barclayi Gompel, 2020
AnthicidaeTomoderus barclayi Telnov, 2005Macratria maxbarclayi Telnov, 2011
IschaliidaeIschalia barclayi Young, 2011
TenebrionidaeEurychora barclayi Ferrer, 2003Amarygmus barclayi Bremer, 2004Pseudopodhomala barclayi Medvedev, 2004Ulomina barclayi Grimm, 2004Enicmosoma barclayi Ferrer, 2005Tauroceras barclayi Ferrer, Soldati & Delatour, 2005Chariotheca barclayi Masumoto 2006Goniadera barclayi Ferrer, 2007Pseudonautes barclayi Ando, 2007Laena barclayi Schawaller, 2009Othryoneus barclayi Ferrer, 2010Phylan barclayi Ferrer, 2010Hexarhopalus barclayi Purchart, 2010Phymatosoma barclayi Masumoto & Akita, 2010Blaps barclayi Martínez-Fernández & Ferrer, 2012Rhyzodina barclayi Ferrer, 2015Stenochinus barclayi Masumoto & Akita, 2019Borbonalia barclayi Masumoto, Novák, Akita & Lee, 2019Toktokkus barclayi Kamiński & Gearner, 2021
OedemeridaeNacerdes apicipennis barclayi Svihla, 2011
CerambycidaeTrypogeus barclayi Vives, 2007Melanesiandra barclayi Santos-Silva, 2011Acutandra barclayi Bouyer, Drumont & Santos-Silva, 2012Colobeutrypanus barclayi Monné & Monné, 2012Clytellus barclayi Miroshnikov, 2014Oncideres barclayi Nearns & Tavakilian, 2015 Parandra barclayi Santos-Silva, 2015Triammatus barclayi Jiroux, 2016Saphanodes barclayi Adlbauer, 2016Elydnus barclayi Miroshnikov, 2017Lophobothea barclayi Monné M.A., Monné M.L. & Botero, 2017Dymasius barclayi Miroshnikov, 2018Polyzonus barclayi Skale, 2018Lingafelterellus barclayi Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2023
ChrysomelidaeCyrtonota maxhowardi Sekerka, 2011 Dercetina barclayi Lee & Bezdek, 2013Charaea maxbarclayi Bezdek & Lee, 2014Diabrotica barclayi Derunkov, Prado, Tishechkin & Konstantinov, 2015Doryscus barclayi Lee, 2017
AnthribidaePseudobasidissus barclayi Tryzna & Banar, 2014Gymnognathus barclayi Perger & Guerra, 2016
RhynchitidaeRubroinvolvulus barclayi Legalov, 2009
BrentidaeStereodermus barclayi Mantilleri, 2004Perapion barclayi Alonso-Zarazaga, 2011 Werneradidactus barclayi Orbach & Bartolozzi, 2024
CurculionidaeMaxwelleus Meregalli, 2022Barclayanthus Borovec & Skuhrovec, 2019Eudraces barclayi Borovec & Nakladal, 2018Heisonyx barclayi Borovec, Colonelli & Osella, 2009Larinus barclayi Gültekin & Lyal, 2016Pachycerus barclayi Meregalli, 2009Sphincticraerus barclayi Košťál, 2019Titilayo barclayi Cristovao & Lyal, 2018Tychius barclayi Caldara, 2011
as well as the wasp Platygaster barclayi Buhl, 2011, the fulgorid bug Polydictya barclayi Constant, 2016 and the fossil cockroach Mesoblatta maxi'' Hinkelman, 2020.