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

• Autor(a) principal: Alves, Andreson de Carvalho
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Beims, Amália dos Anjos, Alencar, Elisama de Melo, de Lima, Franciane Alencar, da Silva, Kaires Mayane, Sousa, Elson Silva de, Cajaiba, Reinaldo Lucas
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biotemas (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/2175-7925.2019v32n2p97

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.