Max Barclay

Maxwell V L Barclay FRES is a British entomologist, and Curator and Collections Manager of Coleoptera and Hemiptera at the Natural History Museum in London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, and a member of the editorial board of The Coleopterist journal. He has been described as ‘one of Britain’s leading entomologists’.

Career Barclay is one of the four virtual ‘Scientist Guides’ of the Natural History Museum’s new Darwin Centre and was among the group that showed the building to Prince William at its 2009 opening. He is a frequent public speaker and media spokesman for entomology and the Museum, most notably appearing in three of the six episodes of the 2010 BBC Series Museum of Life presented by Jimmy Doherty. He believes that public speaking is important 'to enthuse the next generation of scientists and naturalists, and to legitimise what we do in the eyes of the public'. In 2008 he was involved in the identification of a species of bug new to Britain in the Museum’s garden.

Barclay is best known for his work on beetles (Coleoptera), and is author of scientific papers and co-editor of a text book on the subject. He worked as a volunteer in the Department of Entomology for several years before being offered the post of Curator in 2001. The collection of the Natural History Museum that he manages includes more than 20,000 drawers of beetles, including specimens collected by Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. He has travelled extensively in search of specimens, including to Bolivia, Peru, Taiwan and Thailand, and has discovered new species.

Recognition 109 beetle taxa have been named in his honour by fellow scientists, including:

Carabidae Goniotropis barclayi Deuve, 2005 Platynus barclayi Schmidt, 2009 Orictites barclayi Balkenohl, 2017 Brachinus barclayi Hrdlička, 2019 Rugiluclivina barclayi Bulirsch & Magrini, 2025 Hydrophilidae Berosus barclayi Ponomarenko & Soriano, 2019 (Upper Eocene fossil) Ptiliidae Acrotrichis barclayi Darby, 2014 Staphylinidae Naddia barclayi Rougemont, 2016 Asimos barclayi Chatzimanolis, 2023 Loncovilius barclayi Reyes-Hernandez, Kappel Hansen, Jenkins Shaw & Solodovnikov, 2023 Paraphloeostiba barclayi Shavrin, 2024 Frischianus barclayi Frisch, 2025 Scarabaeidae Ixorida (Pseudomecinonota) barclayi Legrand, 2008 Gynaecoserica barclayi Ahrens, 2009 Clinterocera barclayi Legrand & Chew, 2010 Copris (Sinocopris) barclayi Ochi, 2010 Protaetia (Macroprotaetia) maxwelli Jakl, 2011 Madecorphnus barclayi Frolov, 2012 Bietia barclayi Krajcik, 2012 Onthophagus maxwellianus Moretto, 2013 Mesomerodon barclayi Seidel, Jameson & Stone, 2017 Parautoserica barclayi Lacroix, Coache & Filippi, 2023 Rhyparus barclayi Ochi et al., 2019 Rhyparus telnovietbarclayi Minkina & Jákl, 2024 Wernoryctes barclayi Takano, 2020 Bilga barclayi Lacroix, Coache & Filippi, 2023 Cantharidae Themus (Haplothemus) barclayi Svihla, 2006 Heteroceridae Tropicus maxwelli Skalicky, 2010 Limnichidae Phalacrichus max Ribera & Hernando, 2001 Throscidae Trixagus barclayi Kirejtshuk, 2019 (Upper Eocene fossil) Eucnemidae Bioxylus barclayi Otto, 2016 Elateridae Athous barclayi Platia, 2010 Ptinidae Clada barclayi Zahradník & Trýzna, 2018 Dermestidae Orphinus barclayi Hava & Matsumoto, 2021 Anthrenus barclayi Háva, 2019 Thaumaglossa barclayi Kadej and Háva, 2015 Scirtidae Scirtes maxi Yoshitomi & Ruta, 2010 Cyphon barclayi Yoshitomi, 2012 Psephenidae Falsodrupeus barclayi Lee, 2011 Homoeogenus barclayi Lee, 2016 Buprestidae Endelus barclayi Kalashian, 2011 Aphanisticus barclayi Kalashian & Kubáň, 2014 Sphenoptera barclayi Kalashian, 2017 Taphrocerus barclayi Marek, 2019 Lycidae Sulabanus barclayi Dvorak & Bocak, 2007 Alyculus barclayi Palata & Bocak, 2012 Coccinellidae Serratibia barclayi Gordon, Canepari & Hanley, 2013 Helotidae Neohelota barclayi Lee, 2015 Nitidulidae Pocadius barclayi Cline, 2005 Laemophloeidae Charaphloeus barclayi Bremer, 2025 Latridiidae Cartodere barclayi Rücker, 2012 Aderidae Zarcosia barclayi Gompel, 2020 Anthicidae Tomoderus barclayi Telnov, 2005 Macratria maxbarclayi Telnov, 2011 Ischaliidae Ischalia barclayi Young, 2011 Tenebrionidae Eurychora barclayi Ferrer, 2003 Amarygmus barclayi Bremer, 2004 Pseudopodhomala barclayi Medvedev, 2004 Ulomina barclayi Grimm, 2004 Enicmosoma barclayi Ferrer, 2005 Tauroceras barclayi Ferrer, Soldati & Delatour, 2005 Chariotheca barclayi Masumoto 2006 Goniadera barclayi Ferrer, 2007 Pseudonautes barclayi Ando, 2007 Laena barclayi Schawaller, 2009 Othryoneus barclayi Ferrer, 2010 Phylan barclayi Ferrer, 2010 Hexarhopalus (Leprocaulus) barclayi Purchart, 2010 Phymatosoma barclayi Masumoto & Akita, 2010 Blaps barclayi Martínez-Fernández & Ferrer, 2012 Rhyzodina barclayi Ferrer, 2015 Stenochinus barclayi Masumoto & Akita, 2019 Borbonalia barclayi Masumoto, Novák, Akita & Lee, 2019 Toktokkus barclayi Kamiński & Gearner, 2021 Oedemeridae Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) apicipennis barclayi Svihla, 2011 Cerambycidae Trypogeus barclayi Vives, 2007 Melanesiandra barclayi Santos-Silva, 2011 Acutandra barclayi Bouyer, Drumont & Santos-Silva, 2012 Colobeutrypanus barclayi Monné & Monné, 2012 Clytellus barclayi Miroshnikov, 2014 Oncideres barclayi Nearns & Tavakilian, 2015 Parandra barclayi Santos-Silva, 2015 Triammatus barclayi Jiroux, 2016 Saphanodes barclayi Adlbauer, 2016 Elydnus barclayi Miroshnikov, 2017 Lophobothea barclayi Monné M.A., Monné M.L. & Botero, 2017 Dymasius barclayi Miroshnikov, 2018 Polyzonus barclayi Skale, 2018 Lingafelterellus barclayi Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2023 Chrysomelidae Cyrtonota maxhowardi Sekerka, 2011 (named for Max and his colleague Howard Mendel) Dercetina barclayi Lee & Bezdek, 2013 Charaea maxbarclayi Bezdek & Lee, 2014 Diabrotica barclayi Derunkov, Prado, Tishechkin & Konstantinov, 2015 Doryscus barclayi Lee, 2017 Anthribidae Pseudobasidissus barclayi Tryzna & Banar, 2014 Gymnognathus barclayi Perger & Guerra, 2016 Rhynchitidae Rubroinvolvulus barclayi Legalov, 2009 Brentidae Stereodermus barclayi Mantilleri, 2004 Perapion barclayi Alonso-Zarazaga, 2011 [corrected 2013 from mistyped barkleyi] Werneradidactus barclayi Orbach & Bartolozzi, 2024 Curculionidae Maxwelleus Meregalli, 2022 Barclayanthus Borovec & Skuhrovec, 2019 Eudraces barclayi Borovec & Nakladal, 2018 Heisonyx barclayi Borovec, Colonelli & Osella, 2009 Larinus barclayi Gültekin & Lyal, 2016 Pachycerus barclayi Meregalli, 2009 Sphincticraerus barclayi Košťál, 2019 Titilayo barclayi Cristovao & Lyal, 2018 Tychius barclayi Caldara, 2011

as well as the wasp Platygaster barclayi Buhl, 2011, the fulgorid bug Polydictya barclayi Constant, 2016 and the fossil cockroach Mesoblatta maxi Hinkelman, 2020.

Personal life Barclay is married with children. As a teenager he worked as a volunteer at the Durrell Wildlife Park and he cites Gerald Durrell as a significant influence.