The United States Entomological Commission was established by an

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

in 1877 as a department under the

United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories The United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories was established by an act of Congress on 2 March 1867 as an agency under the Department of the Interior (later the General Land Office) tasked to complete a geographical survey ...

headed by

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden (September 7, 1829 – December 22, 1887) was an American geologist noted for his pioneering surveying expeditions of the Rocky Mountains in the late 19th century. He was also a physician who served with the Union Ar ...

. The commission was created to find a solution for the

Rocky Mountain locust The Rocky Mountain locust (''Melanoplus spretus'') is an extinct species of grasshopper that ranged through the western half of the United States and some western portions of Canada with large numbers seen until the end of the 19th century. Sight ...

that plagued much of the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

at that time. The original commission was allotted an $18,000 budget with a staff that included three skilled

entomologists 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 were to be appointed by the

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also

*Interior ministry ...

. The Entomological Commission’s first annual report to Congress was published in 1878; their last was printed in 1902.First and annual report of the United States Entomological commission for ... By Geological Survey (1877) The commission largely came about through the urging of two entomologists,

Charles Valentine Riley Charles Valentine Riley (18 September 1843 – 14 September 1895) was a British-born American entomologist and artist. He was one of the first individuals to use biological pest control and authored over 2,400 publications. He convinced Congress ...

and

Cyrus Thomas Cyrus Thomas (July 27, 1825 – June 26, 1910) was an American ethnologist and entomologist prominent in the late 19th century and noted for his studies of the natural history of the American West. Biography Thomas was born in Kingsport, ...

both of whom, along with

Alpheus Spring Packard Alpheus Spring Packard Jr. LL.D. (February 19, 1839 – February 14, 1905) was an American entomologist and palaeontologist. He described over 500 new animal species – especially butterflies and moths – and was one of the founders of ''The Am ...

, became the first entomologist to serve on the commission; Dr. Riley as chief, Dr. Packard as secretary and Dr. Thomas as disbursing agent. The United States Entomological Commission went on to assist American farmers and ranchers on a number of different threats until the dawn of the twentieth century. Its legacy, at least in part, can be gleaned from the numerous bulletins and near quarter century's worth of annual reports that today can be viewed online.Bulletin of the United States Entomological Commission, Issues 1-6 By United States Entomological Commission (1877)

Sources

{{reflist 1877 establishments in the United States United States Department of the Interior Entomological organizations