Insects were important to the first inhabitants of North America. They were indicators of rain, climate, condition of the land and of health. At times they were thought to give illnesses or to help in their cure. Other insects, such as dragonflies, spiders and flies were thought to act as intercessors with the gods. Still others were thought to create madness, sexual transgression and mimicry in humans, or in some cases cure these problems.
I have become very interested in collecting and illustrating these folk tales and myths. I hope to present and discuss as many as I can find with the hope that you, the reader, will enjoy them and that the next time you see a large fly. a spider in a web, a tarantula, a Western Pinacate Beetle, or any of the other insects who will be presented here, you will think of them more fondly and appreciate their relationship with man and their shared literary past.