Gideon B. Smith

Gideon B. Smith (1793 – March 24, 1867) was an American physician and amateur entomologist who studied the breeding biology of the 13-year and 17-year cicadas by gathering information from correspondents across the US.

[1] Audubon named a species of bird as Smith's Lark-Bunting or Plectrophanes Smithii but this had already been described as Calcarius pictus by Swainson.

Potter wrote in 1839 that "As our professional avocations would not permit us to devote our whole time to the [study of locusts], it became necessary to call in the aid of a colleague whose knowledge of entomology, and industry could be relied on.

After the death of Potter, Smith sent out notices to postmasters and editors of regional periodicals to send report of cicada emergence to him.

Smith continued the studies and in 1845 he received reports from Dr David Lewis Phares of cicada emergence in Mississippi after 13 years.