Ethnoentomological knowledge of the inhabitants of the municipality of Buriticupu, Maranhão, Brazil

• Main Authors: Andreson de Carvalho Alves, Amália dos Anjos Beims, Elisama de Melo Alencar, Franciane Alencar de Lima, Kaires Mayane da Silva, Elson Silva de Sousa, Reinaldo Lucas Cajaiba
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 2019-06-01
• Series: Biotemas
• Subjects: Conhecimento tradicional; Etnobiologia; Percepções
• Online Access: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/58831
• ISSN: 0103-1643; 2175-7925

Insects play vital roles in the ecosystems where they occur but are often perceived negatively by humans. This perception is within the domain of ethnoentomology that, in general, has contributed to uniting scientific and traditional knowledge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception the population of the municipality of Buriticupu, Maranhão, has on insects. One hundred and seven residents were interviewed using semi-structured forms. The results demonstrated that the term “insect” was both associated to animals belonging to class Insecta and other taxonomic groups and that most of the interviewees had a negative feeling about insects. In the community, the negative perception of insects and the lack of knowledge about the importance of insects in nature contribute to aggressive actions against these animals. The information obtained in this study should be used in lectures and extension projects that inform the population about the importance of insects.