How to use the database

On the home page, type words in the search box and click the "Search" button. You can refine your search using Boolean search symbols. For example, +silk -"silk-screen" shows all objects described with the word "silk" but not with "silk-screen".

About the database

Barrett Klein (barrett[at]pupating.org) is an Associate Professor of Entomology and Animal Behavior at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. He heads the Pupating Lab, which is building this searchable database of cultural entomology from Barrett Klein's personal collection, from numerous repositories on the Internet, and soon from visitor submissions via a mobile app (currently under construction).

"Cultural entomology studies the reasons, beliefs, and symbolism behind the inclusion of insects within all facets of the humanities."-Dexter Sear (Cultural Entomology Digest, 1993).

Cultural entomology is "the branch of investigation that addresses the influence of insects (and other terrestrial Arthropoda, including arachnids, myriapods, etc.) in literature, language, music, the arts, interpretive history, religion, and recreation." - Charles Hogue (CE Digest, 1993)

Humans have included insects in art for millennia, either symbolically, literally, or physically (insect products or bodies as art media). The practice of incorporating insects in art is one of my cultural entomology interests.

Insects Incorporated is accepting submissions with the goal of establishing the most comprehensive, manually-annotated cultural entomology database in the world. We anticipate that it will be a valuable resource for research and for education at all levels, and that it will also be of general interest to a wide audience on the internet.

Acknowledgments: @rno Klein, identical twin and champion for the wee, digital hexapod, made this website possible. UWL students contributing to the site: Cody Babcock, Abigail Reinke, Natalie Renier, Rebecca Schnabel, Keaton Unrein, Danielle VanBrabant, and Breanna Vey.