Henry Walter Bates was a British naturalist and explorer, born on February 8, 1825. He is best known for his work in the Amazon rainforest, where he studied the rich biodiversity and collected numerous specimens. Bates made significant contributions to the field of entomology, particularly in the study of butterflies, and is recognized for his research on mimicry in Lepidoptera. Bates is also famous for the concept of Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species evolves to imitate the appearance of a harmful one to avoid predation. His findings helped to advance the understanding of evolution and natural selection, influencing later scientists, including Charles Darwin.