Insect conservation in the United Kingdom - The amateur entomologists' society

Abstract

The Amateur Entomologists' Society (AES) was founded by Leonard Tesch (initially as the Entomological Exchange and Correspondence Club) in 1935. Long before then, entomologists had been concerned about the decline of various species, or of insect populations in general. It is therefore not surprising to find an expression of such concern in one of the earliest publications of the society. Tesch (1935a) wrote of his impression that insects had generally become less abundant over the preceding 25 years. He had been seeing far fewer moths, especially at indoor light, than in the days when it was quite usual to have a dozen or more moths flying about one's room.