Prof. Robert Angus

Founder and ex-chairman

Professor Robert Angus is a founder of the Aquatic Coleoptera Conservation Trust and served as its chairman until his retirement in spring 2025. Emeritus Reader in Entomology at Royal Holloway and Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum, London, his research spans Scarabaeoidea and hydrophiloid beetles, with a long-standing interest in aquatic Coleoptera including work on Helophorus and broader systematics. He has contributed to cytogenetic studies of water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae) and maintained a personal collection noted for its depth in water beetle material. His career blends taxonomy, field recording, and conservation advocacy, helping to define scarce and threatened beetle priorities in Britain. Within ACCT he provided formative strategic leadership, embedding rigorous taxonomic insight into the trust's direction and mentoring subsequent recorders and trustees. Even after stepping down as chair, his influence endures through ongoing informal guidance and the legacy of structure he helped establish.