Evelyn Cheesman was a British entomologist best known for her solo expeditions in the South Pacific where she collected over 70,000 specimens of insects, plants and animals.

Cheesman became an entomologist as she was unable to fulfil her dream of becoming a veterinarian due to her gender. At the time, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons did not admit women.

In May 1917, Cheesman took up the position of Assistant Curator of Insects at London Zoo, three years later she became the first woman to be hired as a curator and devoted herself to collecting specimens to fill the insect house.

Cheesman’s specimens are now part of the collections of the Natural History Museum in London’s and even now, many years after her death, scientists are still identifying new species and making discoveries among the specimens she collected. At least 69 of the insect species she collected have since been named after her.