Kenneth Hedley Lewis Key 1911–2002

Ken Key was distinguished for his work on the ecology and taxonomy of Australian locusts and grasshoppers. He and his team established the fundamental causes of locust outbreaks in eastern Australia, and provided the basic knowledge necessary for radical control. He showed that phase changes occur in other Orthoptera also, and his critique of the phase theory profoundly influenced the outlook of locust workers throughout the world. In addition to being a recognised authority on physical ecology, he contributed to an understanding of colour variation and made significant advances in general taxonomy. He left copious notes and records covering his studies, including a detailed statement on which this memoir is based and to which some additions and a few corrections have been made.