Entomology in Florida is characterized by biological disequilibrium brought about by frequent invasion of new pests, explosive human population growth, and rapid change in land use. Relatively unpopulated before WWII, Florida’s academic, research and extension infrastructure have only really developed in the last 35 years. Historically, our programs emphasized biting flies, and vegetable and citrus pests. Due to urbanization, however, structural and landscape plant pests have also assumed importance. One of the last institutions to begin offering a Ph.D. In entomology (in 1965), University of Florida is the first to offer the D.P.M degree. Degrees are now available using distance education technology. The extension effort has invested heavily in electronic communication, and a very successful network of county offices. The research program is dispersed, with more faculty at Research and Education Centers state-wide than on the main campus. The recent addition of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Research and Conservation bolsters our activities in ecology, systematics, and conservation