The perception and use of insects by the residents of Ribeirão da Ilha, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

Abstract

This work presents the perception of the residents of Ribeirão da Ilha, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina Island, about the insects and the distinct uses made of them. The study was carried out between August and October of 2007 through semi-structured interviews with 50 residents of the community. The ethnocategory 'Insect' is composed by 16 animals such as bees, cockroaches, beetles, spiders, snakes and others. This category is mostly seen negatively by the local population, or causes a sensation of fear and disgust. The knowledge about the use of insects is wide and it is related with ludic, decorative, alimentary and medicinal usages, as well as with forecasting the weather and earning money. However, nowadays only three uses are practiced by the community: consumption of honey in food, employment of bee stings to cure rheumatism, and butterflies for decoration.