The insect world was of interest to Victorians for a variety of reasons. Bees, of course, were of significant value due to their production of honey. Many Victorian householders in the country kept bees. Butterflies appealed to the Victorians' love of beauty and artistry; the London zoo had its own butterfly section. But other insects fascinated as well, particularly as naturalists began to unveil the complex behaviors and adaptations of these tiny creatures. Grant Allen's series "Glimpses of Nature" and "In Nature's Workshop" offered amazingly detailed explorations of the hidden lives of insects. (Note that this section includes certain "bugs" that are technically not "insects," such as worms, spiders, ants and leeches!)

British Insects and Butterflies (Illustrated London Almanack, 1860)

A bimonthly nature series.

Among the Honey-Makers (Atlantic Monthly, 1865)

Ferns and Butterflies (Illustrated London Almanack, 1865)

Bimonthly series on the ferns and butterflies of Britain.

Leeches as Clerks of the Weather (Godey's, 1868)

[Cicadae] Homoptera, by Louis Figuier (The Insect World, 1872)

In addition to a basic explanation of how cicadas function and reproduce, this book excerpt offers some lovely details of cicadas in history and folklore. (Apparently the ancient Greeks thought them especially musical.)

How the Grasshoppers Came, by a Nebraska Woman (St. Nicholas, 1875)

The Life of a Clothes-Moth, by Prof. A.W. Rattray (St. Nicholas, 1875)

Field and Forest Insects (Scribners, 1879B)

In a Snailery (Scribners, 1879A)

Tramps After Moths and Butterflies (Scribners, 1879B)

Among Our Footprints (Harper's Monthly, 1882A)

A look at insect life.

The Ways of the Ant, by R. Brown (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

How I Watched a Spider (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

The "Spinster," by S.F.A. Caulfeild (Girl's Own Paper, 1888)

Notes on spiders.

[The Colorado Beetle] A New Plague (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

A Visitation of Locusts (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

Locust plagues in Greece.

"Fagging" or "Slavery" Among the Ants (Stories of History, 1891)

Imitation, True and False, by Frank Beddard (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1893)

A look at various types of insect mimicry.

Zig-Zags at the Zoo 15: Zig-Zag Entomic, by Arthur Morrison and J.A. Shepherd (The Strand, 1893)

See ZigZags at the Zoo for the complete series.

Moorland Idylls 4: A Butterfly Episode*, by Grant Allen (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895A)

Butterflies, Moths, and Other Strange Insects at the Zoo, by Fred Miller (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Lavishly illustrated article.

The Study of Butterflies, by Fred Miller (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Nature's Mimics, by Agnes Giberne (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Primarily about mimicry and camouflage amongst insects.

Glimpses of Nature: [Aphids] The Cows that Ants Milk,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1897B)

Glimpses of Nature: [Spiders] A Beast of Prey,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1897B)

Glimpses of Nature: Those Horrid Earwigs,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1897B)

Glimpses of Nature: [Wasps] The First Paper-Maker,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1898A)

Glimpses of Nature: [Ants] Abiding Cities,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1898A)

Glimpses of Nature: [Gnats] A British Bloodsucker,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1898A)

Ant-Hills (The Strand, 1898A)

Insect Strength, by James Scott (The Strand, 1898A)

Some interesting illustrations to demonstrate the relative strength of insects.

[Spiders] Underground Passages and Trap-Doors, by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1898B)

In Nature's Workshop: Animal and Vegetable Hedgehogs,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899A)

Besides prickly mammals such as hedgehogs and armadillos, this article covers some prickly fish, insects, and cacti.

In Nature's Workshop: Sextons and Scavengers,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899A)

The various beetles and other insects that dispose of the dead.

In Nature's Workshop: False Pretenses,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899A)

Insect mimicry.

Glimpses of Nature: A Foreign Invasion of Britain,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899B)

A look at various invasive insect pests.

In Nature's Workshop: The Day of the Canker-Worm,* by Grant Allen (The Strand, 1899B)

The Dragon-Fly, by Arthur Ruck (The Strand, 1900A)

*See Grant Allen's Nature Series for the complete "Glimpses of Nature," "In Nature's Workshop" and "Moorland Idylls" series.

• See also Bees & Beekeeping