Reece Ivan Sailer (8 November 1915 – 8 September 1986) was an American

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

who specialized in classical

biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

and the systematics of the bugs in the family

Pentatomidae Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.Robert G ...

. Sailer was born in

Roseville, Illinois Roseville is a village in Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 989 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography According to the 2010 census, Roseville has a total area of , all ...

where he went to school. He attended Western Illinois State Teacher's College followed by

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, where he received an A.B. in 1938 and a Ph.D. in 1942. His doctoral work was on the systematics of the genus ''

Trichocorixa ''Trichocorixa'' is a genus of water boatmen in the family Corixidae Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera. They are found worldwide in virtually any freshwater habitat and a few species live in saline water. There ar ...

'' (Hemiptera) under H.B. Hungerford. Sailer worked as an assistant entomologist for the

State of Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

and then joined the

US Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

specializing in the taxonomy of

true bugs Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to aroun ...

. He also worked on the effects of

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

on forest insects and studied biting flies and mosquitoes in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. In 1960 Sailer moved to Paris to work in the European Parasite Laboratory. He moved back to the US in 1966 and worked in

Beltsville, Maryland Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporated ...

. He joined the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

in 1973 and worked as a professor of entomology, teaching courses in biological control.

References

External links

Smithsonian Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sailer, Reece American entomologists People from Roseville, Illinois University of Kansas alumni Western Illinois University alumni 1915 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American zoologists Presidents of the Entomological Society of America