Illustrating Insects: Using Art to Encourage Experiences in Entomology

The goal of this creative project is to use art to highlight the diversity of our insect neighbors and encourage others to explore their local environments. In order to accomplish this, I created a poster-sized illustration of five insects I’ve encountered on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus. All insects are posted within the silhouette of Memorial Stadium, each with an ecological and personal significance. The contrast of a well-known building with less popular insects invokes the audience to reconsider how much attention they pay to the wilderness around them. Keywords: Entomology, Natural Biodiversity, Illustration, Insects, Appreciation of Nature