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Insects are seldom mentioned when we discuss human history, yet they significantly shaped today's societies. In this book, entomologists Robert N. Wiedenmann and J. Ray Fisher take readers through the unique stories of five insects that have shaped history: silk moths, rat fleas, lice, fever mosquitos, and honey bees.
List of contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Section 1: Silk and Silkworm
- Chapter 1: Moth Spit
- Chapter 2: Silk Roads
- Chapter 3: Silk Goes East and West
- Section 2: Oriental Rat Flea and the Plague
- Chapter 4: In Reverse Order-The Third Pandemic First
- Chapter 5: Not Just the Plague
- Chapter 6: Sorting Out the Plague
- Chapter 7: The Plague, One More Time
- Section 3: Lice in War and Peace
- Chapter 8: Lice in War and Peace
- Section 4: Aedes Aegypti and Yellow Fever
- Chapter 9: The Bridge Connecting Silkworms to Mosquitos
- Chapter 10: Yellow Fever in the United States
- Chapter 11: The Caribbean, Carlos Finlay, Walter Reed, and Serendipity
- Chapter 12: William Crawford Gorgas and the Panama Canal
- Section 5: Western Honey Bee
- Chapter 13: Six-Legged Livestock
- Section 6: Typing the Silken Threads
- Chapter 14: Tying the Silken Threads
- Bibliography
- Index
About the author
Robert N. Wiedenmann is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Arkansas. He received a BS in ecology and PhD in entomology, both from Purdue University. He was inspired to write this book after teaching a course at Arkansas called, "Insects, Science and Society." He is Past-President of the Entomological Society of America.
J. Ray Fisher is a postdoctoral researcher of entomology at the University of Arkansas. He received a BS in Zoology from Auburn University, an MS in entomology from the University of Kentucky, and a PhD in Entomology from the University of Arkansas. He teaches and conducts research on the evolution and diversity of arthropods.
Summary
Insects are seldom mentioned when we discuss human history, yet they significantly shaped today's societies. In this book, entomologists Robert N. Wiedenmann and J. Ray Fisher take readers through the unique stories of five insects that have shaped history: silk moths, rat fleas, lice, fever mosquitos, and honey bees.
Additional text
The impact of insects on historical events seems a sliver of a topic, but the authors reveal an expansive story of broad relevance. The five selected insects may be widely known, but the intricacies of their stories and their extensive and lasting impacts will amaze you, whether entomologist, environmentalist, historian, or general reader. Examples range from the influence of insects on trade and intersecting cultures, to modern scientific detective work and its incredible nuances in understanding medieval plague epidemics. This book is readable and will hold your interest.
