William L. Peters

William L. Peters (1939–2000) was an American entomologist specializing in mayflies, especially those in the family Leptophlebiidae.

His father was an electrical engineer; the family moved to New Orleans so that he could work on military aircraft during the Second World War.

In 1966, under George F. Edmunds Jr., he completed his PhD, also at Utah, on the taxonomy of the Leptophlebiidae, a family of mayflies.

During his studies he travelled to Peru, Jamaica, New Guinea, Thailand and then India to collect mayfly specimens.

He headed that program there until his death, serving also as research director of the university's College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture.