Importância e papel ecológico dos insetos na percepção de agricultores em uma comunidade rural do município de Cuité, semiárido paraibano.

Abstract

For a long time the insects draw attention of people and their influence can be seen in different aspects of society, whether in cooking, medicine and many others. The science responsible for the study of knowledge and relationship of people with insects is the Ethnoentomology. This work was developed in the rural community Retiro dos Simões, municipality of Cuité-PB. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 50 farmers residing in the locality where the questionnaires were recorded by the importance, the use and the perception in relation to these bodies. The insects were characterized with being an animal for 64% of respondents. As for insects that respondents knew, were cited 69 different animals of 248 citations, where 64% do not belong to Class Insecta, with the animals best remembered Spider Caranguejeira. All respondents (n = 50) gave a negative perception to insects, but also recorded the use of some insects or their products by farmers in 4 categories. Prevailed among respondents that insects can be bad for us cause damage to health and damage crops and to be good or useful when used as a medicinal and food use. So we were classified as insects various animals many of which do not belong to the class Insecta. Usually the term "insect" was awarded by farmers those animals that caused the feeling of fear, loathing, danger and that caused damage to human health or the plantations.