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News Release

Science On Tap 5/13 In Vancouver: Five Insects' Impact On History (Photo) - 04/21/26

Date: Wed, May 13

Time: 7 pm

Location: Kiggins Theatre Vancouver WA

Tickets: $15-$45

Event Website: scienceontaporwa.org/events/kiggins_may_13_insects/


A moth, a flea, a mosquito…

Insects are seldom mentioned in history texts, yet they significantly shaped human history. For example:

  • Silkworms (moths) have been farmed to produce silk for millennia, and the Silk Road created a history of empires and cultural exchanges of ideas, philosophies, and religions.
  • Fleas and lice carried bacteria that caused three major plague pandemics. Bacteria carried by insects left their ancient clues as DNA embedded in victims’ teeth.
  • Lice caused outbreaks of typhus, especially in crowded conditions such as prisons and concentration camps. Typhus aggravated the effects of the Irish potato famine, and Irish refugees took typhus to North America.
  • Mosquito-borne yellow fever was transported to the Americas via the trans-Atlantic slave trade, causing panic in the US and creating hazards in constructing the Panama Canal.

Dr. Rob Wiedenmann is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Arkansas. He received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a Ph.D. in Entomology, both from Purdue University. He also worked at the Illinois Natural History Survey, where he focused on biological control of insects and weeds.  He is a past-president of the Entomological Society of America.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Science on Tap OR WA.

Attached Media Files: IG.png,

Science On Tap 5/13 In Vancouver: Five Insects' Impact On History (Photo) - 04/21/26

Date: Wed, May 13

Time: 7 pm

Location: Kiggins Theatre Vancouver WA

Tickets: $15-$45

Event Website: scienceontaporwa.org/events/kiggins_may_13_insects/


A moth, a flea, a mosquito…

Insects are seldom mentioned in history texts, yet they significantly shaped human history. For example:

  • Silkworms (moths) have been farmed to produce silk for millennia, and the Silk Road created a history of empires and cultural exchanges of ideas, philosophies, and religions.
  • Fleas and lice carried bacteria that caused three major plague pandemics. Bacteria carried by insects left their ancient clues as DNA embedded in victims’ teeth.
  • Lice caused outbreaks of typhus, especially in crowded conditions such as prisons and concentration camps. Typhus aggravated the effects of the Irish potato famine, and Irish refugees took typhus to North America.
  • Mosquito-borne yellow fever was transported to the Americas via the trans-Atlantic slave trade, causing panic in the US and creating hazards in constructing the Panama Canal.

Dr. Rob Wiedenmann is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Arkansas. He received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a Ph.D. in Entomology, both from Purdue University. He also worked at the Illinois Natural History Survey, where he focused on biological control of insects and weeds.  He is a past-president of the Entomological Society of America.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Science on Tap OR WA.

Attached Media Files: IG.png,