Louis M. (Louis Marcus) Roth

Born in 1918, Louis M. Roth was an American entomologist whose career moved from mosquito research into the study of cockroaches. He was elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America in 1952, and later became widely recognized for his work on cockroach behavior, physiology, and classification.

Roth worked at the U.S. Research and Development Laboratories and at Harvard University, where he was known as a world expert on cockroaches. His research combined close observation with deep technical knowledge, helping make sense of insects that most people notice only as pests.

He wrote or co-wrote important works including The Medical and Veterinary Importance of Cockroaches, The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches, and Cockroaches: Ecology, Behavior, and Natural History. Louis M. Roth died on June 9, 2003.