Kyle Whorrall

Kyle Whorrall was born on April 4, 1992, in Redondo Beach, California, and grew up in West Los Angeles alongside his two older sisters, Heather and Katie. From the moment he learned to walk, Kyle’s fascination with the natural world was unmistakable. He was happiest outdoors, peering into plants, lifting rocks, and sifting through soil in search of whatever intriguing creature might be hiding underneath.

In 2005, after years of pleading with his mother, Carole, to take him to Australasia, Kyle’s dream finally came true. At age 13, he traveled for nearly a month through Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji with Carole, Katie, Heather, and Heather’s now-husband, Ty. It was a life-changing trip, and Kyle fell in love with the region.

Back home, his passion for entomology only grew. He joined the Lorquin Entomology Society, an organization largely made up of adult professional entomologists and dedicated hobbyists, where he quickly found his place as the youngest attendee. Throughout high school, he volunteered at the Los Angeles Zoo each summer as a student docent, also participating in projects such as Condor Habitat Clean-Up and a Roots & Shoots event with the famous primatologist Jane Goodall, promoting community action for environmental causes.

After graduating high school, Kyle attended the University of California, Riverside, earning a B.S. degree in Entomology. He then continued onto Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, where he completed his M.S. degree in biology. During his time at WKU, he traveled to Peru with his advisor, Keith Philips, where he spent a wonderful month collecting spider beetles, all of which were undescribed except for one! Six of these belonging to the genus Cordielytrum were described and another species was described within a new genus, Xenocotylus. The latter was particularly of interest as the species has many ancestral anatomical traits and is known only from one Peruvian sea bird island and a single shore habitat where it feeds on guano. 

Kyle was one of two candidates selected for a Ph.D. program in biology to study Zopheridae at the University of Auckland in 2020 coadvised by researchers at the University, The New Zealand Arthropod Collection and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research (now a part of the Institute of Bioeconomy Science).  But just as he prepared to begin this next chapter, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, delaying his start by a full year. Eventually, with a special visa, he was able to enter New Zealand, which was still in lockdown. After two weeks in quarantine he finally began his Ph.D.

Through his academic journey, Kyle discovered that systematics and taxonomy were his true calling. He co-authored several publications and became known within the entomological community. He adored New Zealand, its people, its flora and fauna, and considered it home. 

While heading home on a rainy Saturday night on April 19, 2025, he took shelter at a bus stop a couple of blocks from his home. Tragically he was brutally attacked by several people and died that night. He was just months away from completing his Ph.D.

This fund is established in memory of Kyle’s dedication to beetle research.

Kyle Whorrall at a high elevation site in Peru
Kyle Whorrall at a high elevation site in Peru

Kyle’s publications:

  • Weirauch, C., Whorrall, K., Knyshov, A. & Hoey-Chamberlain, R. (2018) Giant among dwarfs: Meganannus lewisi, gen. n. and sp. n., a new genus and species of minute litter bugs from Costa Rica (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae). Zootaxa, 4370 (2), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4370.2.4
  • Whorrall, K.A., Philips, T.K. (2020) An unusual new genus of spider beetle (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from a guano island of Peru. Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 79(4): 8-19. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=322064864003
  • Philips, T.K., Whorrall, K.A., Gearner, O.M., Huchet, J.-B. (2020) A new genus of spider beetle (Coleoptera, Ptinidae) from western Peru. ZooKeys 934: 81-91. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.934.38670
  • Whorrall, K. & Philips, K. (2021) Six new species of spider beetles (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) in the genus Cordielytrum Philips. Zootaxa, 5040 (3), 414–427. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5040.3.6
  • Philips, T.K., Bowen, J.G., and Whorrall, K.A. (2025) A new species of Trigonogenius Solier (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ptininae) from Peru and a discussion of the diversity and distribution of the genus. The Coleopterists Bulletin 79(3), 511-516. https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-79.3.511

 

Kyle Whorrall Biological Sciences Prize

A fundraiser by the University of Auckland that will support an annual award to motivate students pursuing a master’s degree within the School of Biological Sciences.

This prize fund will honour Kyle’s memory by helping students who carry his passion forward; those who believe in science, stewardship, curiosity, and care for the natural world.

Donations: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/giving/donate/kyle-whorrall-biological-sciences-prize.html