Howard Ensign Evans

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Howard Ensign Evans (born February 23, 1919 died July 18, 2002) was an American entomologist who studied wasps extensively. Born in East Hartford, Connecticut, Evans developed an interest in natural history, and insects in particular, as a child on his parents' tobacco farm. He attended the University of Connecticut, and obtained his Ph.D. from Cornell University. During World War II, he served as an army parasitologist, doing pioneering work on the Giardia parasite while stationed in St. Johns, Newfoundland. He held academic positions at Kansas State University, Cornell University, Harvard University and Colorado State University. A fellow at the United States National Academy of Sciences, he received a number of honors, including the William J. Walker Prize of the Boston Museum of Science (1967) and the Daniel Giraud Elliot Award of the National Academy of Science (1976), and was short listed for the National Book Award (1964, for Wasp Farm). His work was published in 255 scientific papers, 40 popular articles and 13 books, including Wasp Farm and The Pleasures of Entomology. Several of his books, including Life on a Little Known Planet, are among the most popular works on entomology for a general audience. Numbered among his accomplishments in hymenopteran taxonomy was the novel family Scolebythidae in addition to 31 genera and almost 800 species. In addition to taxonomy, Evans produced important work on insect behavior and evolution. His publications also include works on the history of biology, Australian natural history, the American West, and a volume of poetry. Several books were co-authored with his wife, Mary Alice (Dietrich) Evans. Evans's passions included field biology, writing, teaching, the American West, backpacking, fishing, classical music and environmental conservation.^[1]

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