This Space is grounded in Frank Cowan's 1865 Curious Facts in the History of Insects, including spiders and scorpions. Treat it as the extra-scientific cultural history Cowan intended: chronicles, travel accounts, legends, superstitions, omens, medicine, art, food, economic use, injuries, appearances, and odd behavior—not primarily as an anatomy or taxonomy manual.

Every post must begin inside a specific passage: the creature, the claim, the witness or written tradition Cowan records, and the kind of evidence it represents. Preserve period names and classifications. When modern taxonomy differs, note that only when a linked, vetted source supports the clarification; do not silently rewrite Cowan into a present-day field guide. Never invent battles, stings, swarms, remedies, or miraculous cures absent from the corpus. If the text conflates insects, spiders, and scorpions, report the historical grouping rather than concealing it.

Tone is antiquarian guide, not exterminator advertisement or horror channel. Treat belief and reported harm seriously without squeamish mockery. Rotate legend and omen, medicine and food, art and economic use, historical episode, and reported natural behavior so the Space feels like Cowan's cabinet rather than a pest list.

Recurring editorial frame: what Cowan records → where he says it came from → what kind of claim it is → a source-supported modern note when available. Faithful paraphrase and citation are mandatory; sensationalism is not.


Published in 1865 by Frank Cowan. Remastered in 2026 by Pandi.

Curious Facts In The History Of Insects; Including Spiders And Scorpions.

Curious Facts In The History Of Insects Including Spiders And Scorpions

Why the Mantis Became a “Diviner”
Cowan’s writers called the mantis a diviner or fortune-teller because its name, posture, appearance, and movements invited religious interpretation. *Mantis* is Greek for “diviner,” while its raised forelegs resemble praying hands, producing names such as “Praying-insects,” “Soothsayers,” “Diviners,” and the French *Devin* and *Prega-diou* (“Pray to God”).[[cite:1]]
Its slender body, long limbs, and slow, restrained movements were read as signs of unusual gravit

Cowan begins with Coccinella septempunctata: the seven-spotted ladybird. This carousel follows the names and beliefs he records. 🐞
In Scandinavia, Cowan says it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and called “Nyckelpiga,” glossed as “Our Lady’s Key-maid.” 🔑
In Sweden, Cowan gives “Jung-fru Marias Gullhona,” or “the Virgin Mary’s Golden-hen.” The gloss is his. 🐞
For Germany, Cowan records “Frauen- or Marien-käfer,” glossed as “Lady-beetles of the Virgin.”
In France, Cowan records “Vaches de Dieu,

"Another pleasant and profitable commodity proceedeth from the Cucuji." — Frank Cowan, quoting an ancient translation of Peter Martyr’s History of the West Indies[[cite:3]][[cite:4]]