author
Edward Saunders
1848–1910
A Victorian naturalist who balanced a banking career with serious scientific work, he became one of Britain’s respected experts on bees, wasps, beetles, and true bugs. His books helped make insect study more accessible to both specialists and keen amateurs.
1 Audiobook
Wild Bees, Wasps and Ants and Other Stinging Insects
by Edward Saunders
About the author
Born in Wandsworth, England, on March 22, 1848, he was educated at home and grew up in a family deeply interested in natural history. Although he worked in business and was associated with Lloyds Bank, he devoted much of his life outside work to entomology and developed particular expertise in Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera.
He became well known for careful observation, classification, and writing, and published important works including The Hemiptera Heteroptera of the British Islands and The Hymenoptera Aculeata of the British Islands. He was also active in scientific societies, served as president of the Entomological Society of London, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He died on February 6, 1910. Remembered as a dedicated and wide-ranging insect scholar, he stands out as one of those authors whose practical, readable books helped turn specialist knowledge into something other naturalists could use and enjoy.