Ximena McGlashan
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 in 1911, but did not pursue a teaching career. 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. She published a magazine for amateur entomologists, The Butterfly Farmer, in 1913 and 1914. "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