His early work on aphids with Johnson started a lifelong interest in the behaviour, ecology, migration and population dynamics of this group of worldwide agricultural pests.
In the following decades Taylor's law was observed in a variety of circumstances in areas such as ecology, epidemiology and genetics, ranging from the number of sexual partners reported by HIV infected individuals (Anderson et al., 1988)[3] to the physical distribution of genes on human chromosome 7.
[4] To provide sufficient population data to take his ideas forward he enlisted the help of amateur moth enthusiasts to run light traps throughout the UK.
[citation needed] Taylor obtained a DSc from the University of London in 1966, became the recipient of the Royal Agricultural Society of England's gold research medal in 1977.
He was elected a visiting professor at Queen Elizabeth College, London and was president of the British Ecological Society.