We are sad to announce the passing of Ermi Zhao (赵尔宓), a colleague, friend, scientist and world-renowned herpetologist, last month in December 2016. Zhao Ermi is best known as the former deputy director of the Chengdu Institute of Biology, who presided over a prodigiously productive program of new species discoveries, systematic analysis, and biogeographic explorations becoming one of the leading experts of Chinese herpetology. He is best known to western scientists as the co-author of Herpetology of China with Kraig Adler in 1993. In addition, he wrote several books on Chinese amphibians and reptiles and wrote over 140 scientific papers including several new species, subspecies and even generic descriptions for amphibians and reptiles. He became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001 and was named an Honorary Foreign Member of ASIH in 2008. Zhao Ermi will be remembered for his curious mind, his scientific rigor and dedication to herpetology.