James A. McMurtry

James Allen McMurtry (21 September 1932 – 28 July 2017) was an American entomologist and acarologist known for his pioneering work on predatory mites and the biological control of phytophagous mites. He was a professor emeritus at the University of California, Riverside and is regarded as one of the leading specialists on the mite family Phytoseiidae.

Early life and education McMurtry was born in California in 1932 and grew up in farming communities in central California. He developed an interest in insects and natural history during childhood. He completed his undergraduate studies in biological sciences at San Jose State University before serving in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956.