A01=Paolo Cherchi Usai
Author_Paolo Cherchi Usai
bioluminescence
Category=WNCN
ecology
ecotourism
entomology
entomotourism
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
ethnology
flickering lights
folklore
forthcoming
insects
luminosity
luminous
Product details
- ISBN 9781836392736
- Dimensions: 135 x 190mm
- Publication Date: 01 Sep 2026
- Publisher: Reaktion Books
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Fireflies have inspired poets, songwriters and scientists for centuries. Their brief, flickering light has stood for love, destiny, wealth and cosmic mystery, while also attracting Renaissance alchemists and modern researchers determined to understand bioluminescence. Long celebrated in Japanese folklore, the firefly is not without a dark side: witchcraft and black magic have represented it as a forlorn, mischievous or bloodthirsty spirit. Its real life is equally dramatic: predatory behaviour both within and from outside the species and the growing threat of extinction challenge the insects that illuminate our summer nights. This book brings together biology, legend and art, accompanied by a remarkable portfolio of field photographs and international artworks. The result is a luminous portrait of a fragile creature with enduring power over the human imagination.
Paolo Cherchi Usai is Senior Curator-at-Large of the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. His previous books include The Death of Cinema (2001) and The Art of Film Projection (2019).
