Ximena McGlashan (October 25, 1893 – June 24, 1986), later Ximena McGlashan Howard, was an American entomologist, and a "butterfly farmer" based in Truckee, California.
Early life Ximena Myrtle McGlashan was born in Truckee, California, sixth of the seven daughters of Charles Fayette McGlashan and Leonora Keiser McGlashan. Her father collected butterflies and moths, so Ximena had access to samples to study from a young age. She earned a teaching certificate at San Jose Normal School in 1911, but did not pursue a teaching career.Mark McLaughlin, "Ximena McGlashan, Truckee's Butterfly Farmer" Tahoe Weekly (June 24, 2015).
Career In 1911, Ximena McGlashan and her father started a business selling butterflies to collectors, which became the first commercial butterfly farm in the United States. She raised larvae in jars and boxes on the family property, and perfected her skills at preparing specimens for shipment. She promoted the idea as a profitable option for young rural women, because it required little investment to start, and no heavy physical work."Leaders in Unusual Occupations for Women" in Louis Lyons and Josephine Wilson, eds., Who's Who Among the Women of California (Security Publishing Company 1922): 185. She published a magazine for amateur entomologists, The Butterfly Farmer, in 1913 and 1914.The Butterfly Farmer: A Monthly Magazine for Amateur Entomologists (1913). "My greatest aim has been to inspire a love for the beautiful in entomology," she explained of her work. They opened a museum for the tourists who came to their house to see the butterflies.Robert H. Moulton, "Interesting People: Ximena McGlashan" American Magazine (August 1913): 33."Ximena McGlashan, Butterfly Farmer" Labor Digest (January 1914): 23.
A species of Limacodidae, Sibine ximenans, was named for Ximena McGlashan by entomologist Harrison Gray Dyar Jr.Marc Epstein, Moths, Myths, and Mosquitoes: The Eccentric Life of Harrison G. Dyar, Jr. (Oxford University Press 2016).
From her butterfly farm earnings, she paid her way to enroll in the entomology program at the University of California Berkeley before transferring a year later to Stanford University, where she earned a degree in entomology in 1916."The Class of 1916" Stanford Daily (May 22, 1916): 4.
Due to her marriage to John Carey Howard, Ximena was forced to drop her interests in studying butterflies further to support her husband as he was teaching survival tactics to troops at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Although she never pursued a career in entomology after graduating, she would eventually join the Xerces Society.
Personal life and legacy Ximena McGlashan eloped"Butterfly Princess Elopes from Dance to Quiet Wedding" Sacramento Union (October 16, 1916): 6. via California Digital Newspaper Collection with John Carey Howard in 1916."Fool Friends and Defy Superstition" San Francisco Chronicle (October 15, 1916): 38. via Newspapers.com They had two children, John Jr. and Jeanne. Howard became a professor of military science at University of California Berkeley. Ximena was widowed when John died in 1952."Obituary: John C. Howard Sr." Oakland Tribune (April 24, 1952): 55. via Newspapers.com She died in 1986, aged 92 years.
The McGlashans' butterfly collection was held at the Nevada County Courthouse for many years. It was moved to Donner Memorial State Park, and in 2015 to the Truckee Community Recreation Center. Ximena McGlashan's papers are archived at the Joseph Research Library, Truckee-Donner Historical Society. The McGlashan Butterfly Foundation in Truckee funds scholarships and grants for local students interested in entomology.Rick Mikula, Garden Butterflies of North America: A Gallery of Garden Butterflies & How (Willow Creek Press 2001): 53.
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