Researching ethnobotanical knowledge in Cameroon quickly segued into learning about plant-insect-human relationships and as a long-time entomophile, I was enthralled. People in Nyanjida have in-depth knowledge of insect ecology, not only of pests in their fields, but beneficial insects too, as they comprise an important part of their diet. One of my favorite things to learn about was insect-host plant relationships, which I often learned from children. The ways insect knowledge is woven into language is apparent in the in-depth knowledge of caterpillar-host plant relationships, where quite a few caterpillars share a name with their host plant.

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Some of the topics I'm interested in:

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• insect-host plant relationships

• insects as food

• insect classification

• honeybees

• insects as medicine

• sign metonymy-- symbolism and insects as ecological indicators

• insect mythology and oral histories