Entomological societies which preceded ours and which have continued to publish regularly are: 1) The American Entomological Society, 1867, successor to the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, founded in 1859, and whose Proceedings were prior to the Transactions of the American Entomological Society; 2) The Entomological Society of Canada, organized in 1863, and publishing the Canadian Entomologist since 1868, was interrupted from 1871 until 1951, during which period its activities were taken on by the Entomological Society of Ontario; and 3) The Cambridge Entomological Club, founded in 1874, which began the publication of Psyche in the same year. The Brooklyn Entomological Society, 1872, began its Buletin in 1878, but publication was interrupted from 1886 until 1912, and then suspended again in 1966.

Incentives to start entomological societies probably arose from several factors. One or more men already experienced abroad, usually in England or Germany, were located where each of the abovementioned societies started. The native urge to collect and classify the fauna was given new enthusiasm by association with those familiar with insect study in countries where it already had a place in the culture of the people. Each group of new enthusiasts felt the need to accumulate identified specimens, reference literature, and bibliographies of old and current literature. In most groups there was a physician, clergyman, or teacher at a nearby college to contribute to the group's resources. The practical aspects of learning about insects were a factor in some groups, at least in Washington and Ontario. The Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia show a departure from its usual taxonomic papers in Walsh's reports on injurious insects. In 1864 he published extensive lists of insect species he regarded as common to the faunas of the Old World and North America, taking issue with the "New England School of Naturalists," who argued that the species of the two regions are nearly all distinct. Early publications show that the Philadelphia and Ontario groups were composed chiefly of men of English origin or ancestry. The Brooklyn group was nearly all of German background, as were also many of those in Washington. Hagen was an outstanding entomologist of German origin at Cambridge, where Schwarz also participated before coming to Washington. Although a majority of the early members of the Entomological Society of Washington were of Anglo-Saxon ancestry, a considerable number besides Schwarz were of German birth, including several who were of considerable influence and did much to shape the Society. George Marx, A. J. Schafhirt, Otto Heidemann, Theodore Pergande, and Frederick Knab may be mentioned. Albert Koebele was another; he joined the Brooklyn Society before coming to Washington and joining the group here. He distinguished himself later in the introduction of imported parasites and predators in California.