A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Enlightenment

A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Enlightenment covers the period from 1600 to 1820, a time of global exploration, the discovery of species, and advances in scientific technologies and methods. The natural sciences were increasingly shaped by what could be seen, observed, and classified. This new, Enlightenment approach to knowledge was greatly facilitated by enormous advances in microscopy. Enlightenment entomologists used miscrosopes to examine previously invisible bodies and worlds, illuminating insect metamorphosis and establishing the field of insect morphology.

The six-volume set of the Cultural History of Insects presents the first comprehensive history from antiquity to today of all forms and aspects of human-insect interaction. The themes covered in each volume are insect knowledge; insects and disease; insects and food; insect products; insects in mythology and religion; insects as symbols; insects in literature and language; and insects in art.