Edited by Raynald Harvey Lemelin. Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and bed-bugs are usually not highly sought amongst travellers or recreationists, yet each year, collectors, butterfly enthusiasts, dragonfly-hunters and apiarists collect, visit, document and raise insects for recreational purposes.

Illustrating a range of human-insect encounters from an interdisciplinary perspective, this book provides the first insight into the booming industry of insect recreation. Case studies and examples demonstrate the appeal of insects, ranging from the captivating beauty of butterflies to the curious fascination of locust swarms, and challenge the notion that animals lacking anthropomorphic features hold little or no interest for humans. Throughout the book, the emphasis is on the innovators, the educators, the dedicated researchers and activists who, through collaboration across fields ranging from entomology to sociology and anthropology, have brought insects from the recreational fringes to the forefront of many conservation and leisure initiatives.

This book demonstrates interdisciplinary efforts in insect conservation, expanding the study of insects beyond the usual realms of entomology, provides insights into a rarely studied area of human-insect interactions and examines the concepts of animal appeal and charisma, challenging anthropomorphism and entomophobia.

Raynald Harvey Lemelin is an associate professor in the School of Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University.