Cultural Entomology

Entomology has long been concerned with two general areas of study. The first is the study of insect pests and useful insects which falls into the realm of economic or applied entomology. The second is the study of the biology of insects for the sake of knowing without practical application, which is generally referred to as basic entomology. However, recently a distinct field of entomology has been recognized called cultural entomology. Cultural entomology is the study of the influence of insects and other terrestrial arthropods in literature, languages, music, the arts, interpretive history, religion, and recreation. Because the term “cultural” is narrowly defined, some aspects normally included in studies of human societies are excluded. Thus, ethnoentomology, which is concerned with all forms of insect-human interactions in so-called primitive societies, is not completely synonymous with cultural entomology. For example, practical uses of insects such as entomophagy as part of the...