British Entomological and Natural History Society

The British Entomological and Natural History Society or BENHS is a British entomological society.^[1] It is based at Dinton Pastures Country Park in Reading, England.^[1]

History

BENHS was founded in 1872 as the South London Entomological and Natural History Society.^[1][2]

Publications

BENHS publishes a quarterly journal, the British Journal of Entomology and Natural History (ISSN 0952-7583),^[3] formerly Proceedings and Transactions of the British Entomological and Natural History Society, and Proceedings and Transactions of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society.^[4]

BENHS has published a number of books. Among the most well-known are two illustrated identification guides to British flies:

• Stubbs, Alan E. and Steven J. Falk (1983) British Hoverflies, an illustrated identification guide^[5]
• Stubbs, Alan E. and Martin Drake (2001) British Soldierflies and their allies^[6]

Another title published by BENHS was New British Beetles - species not in Joy's practical handbook by Peter J. Hodge and Richard A. Jones, a companion volume to Norman H. Joy's A Practical Handbook of British Beetles.

In 2024 BENHS published A checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles (2nd Edition) edited by David J.L. Agassiz, Stella D. Beavan & Robert J. Heckford

Affiliated societies

The following groups are affiliated to BENHS:^[1][7]

• Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society
• British Arachnological Society
• British Myriapod and Isopod Group
• British Plant Gall Society
• Coleopterists Society of Britain & Ireland
• Dipterists Forum
• Earthworm Society of Britain