Charles Valentine Riley (September 19, 1843, London - September 14, 1895) was an entomologist and artist.

Charles Valentine Riley

He was born in London on September 19, 1843 and moved to the United States at the age of 17. At the age of 21, Riley began working for the Prairie Farmer, a leading agricultural journal as reporter, artist, and editor of the entomological department.

In 1868, he was appointed to the office of entomologist of the State of Missouri. He collaborated on the annual reports from Missouri, work which established him as one of the leading entomologists in the United States.

Riley studied the plague of grasshoppers that invaded many Western States between 1873 to 1877. He convinced the United States Congress to establish the United States Entomological Commission, which included a Grasshopper Commission, to which Riley was appointed chairman.

In 1878, he was appointed to the post of entomologist to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but he resigned after only a year because of a disagreement with the Commissioner. He was reappointed in 1881 and remained in the top post until 1894. He was also appointed the first curator of insects for the Smithsonian Institute in 1885.

Drawing by Charles Valentine Riley

He was one of the first to practice biological insect control, introducing a beetle that was the natural enemy to a scale that was damaging the California citrus industry. Because this method successfully reduced the scale, Riley is sometimes known as the "Father of Biological Control."

He was among the first to notice that the American grapes, Vitis labrusca were resistant to grape Phylloxera. His work with J. E. Planchon led to the use of grafting French grape on V. labrusca root stock. This effort helped save the French wine industry and for his efforts, Riley received the French Grand Gold Medal and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1884.^[1]

He died in a bicycle accident on September 14, 1895.

References

External links

• Charles Valentine Riley Collection Biographical Notes
• Riley and his work on Phylloxera

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