Sir Vincent B. Wigglesworth’s contributions to insect physiology and endocrinology

Sir Vincent Brian Wigglesworth (1899-1994) is often cited as the leading figure most responsible for transforming entomology from a largely observational and descriptive natural science into a rigorous experimental biological discipline. His innovative investigations into the complexity of how insects work provided the foundations for modern insect physiology and endocrinology. By predicting three master hormones (prothoracicotropic hormone, ecdysone, and juvenile hormone), he managed to explain the processes of insect growth, development, and reproduction, but also established the fundamental mechanisms of neuroendocrine control across the animal kingdom. Wigglesworth's contributions were more than a collection of discoveries but constituted a unified, coherent theory of postembryonic development in insects governed by precisely timed neuroendocrine signals but extending into many other physiological processes.