William Sharp Macleay | |
|---|---|
 Mitchell Library, NSW, before 1865 | |
| Born | 21 July 1792 |
| Died | 26 January 1865 (aged 72) Sydney, Australia |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | civil servant |
| Known for | entomologist |
William Sharp Macleay or McLeay FLS (21 July 1792 – 26 January 1865) was a British civil servant and entomologist. He was also a prominent promoter of the Quinarian system of classification.
After graduating, he worked for the British embassy in Paris, following his interest in natural history and at the same time, publishing essays on insects and corresponding with Charles Darwin.
Macleay moved to Havana, Cuba, where he was, in turn: commissioner of arbitration, commissary judge, and then judge. Retiring from this work, he emigrated to Australia, where he continued to collect insects and studied marine natural history.