Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst (1743 - 1807) was a German naturalist and entomologist.

Herbst was born in Petershagen bei Minden. He was the joint editor, with Carl Gustav Jablonsky, of Naturgeschichte der in-und ausländischen Insekten (1785-1806, 10 volumes), which was one of the first attempts at a complete survey of the order Coleoptera.

Herbst's other works included Anleitung zur Kenntnis der Insekten (1784-86, 3 volumes), Naturgeschichte der Krabben und Krebse (1782-1804, 3 volumes), Einleitung zur Kenntnis der Wür-mer (1787-88, 2 volumes) and Natursystem der ungeflügelten Insekten (Classification of the unwinged insects) (1797-1800, 4 parts).