 Ernest James Harris was born in 1928 and became interested in insects at his parents' farm, which led to his earning a doctorate in entomology. Harris worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more than 40 years and developed a wasp species that preyed on fruit flies, a scourge for fruit farmers around the world. The Harris strain of wasps could be used on a large scale without fear of its becoming dominant in the wild because the strain featured sterile males.