A Cultural History of Insects

A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Industry covers the period from 1820 to 1920, a time of great technological innovation and intensified trade. As urban populations spread so did pollution, squalor, and disease – and so did education and scientific knowledge. The expeditions of nineteenth century naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace fed the natural history collections of museums. At the same time, with the formation of new scientific groups and societies, professional entomology emerged as a specific branch of science. Knowledge of insect diversity accelerated whilst the increasing demands on agricultural production foregrounded the work of entomologists on pest control.

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.