Sharing the wonderful world of insects via the internet

The world of insects is foreign for many non-entomologists, and even within the field of entomology we often only seek out information pertinent to our specific disciplines. Information and photographs of insects are increasingly becoming available via the Internet and more people than ever are able to access this information. An important and entertaining format for presenting information about insects is still being underrepresented. That format is video. The next best thing to observing insects in person is to view the world of insects through video. With the advances in technology, videography is becoming much easier and cheaper. Computer programs such as iMovie and Windows Movie Maker are designed to be easy to use and come standard on most computers. Websites like YouTube and Vimeo are free to join and make it easy to upload and share videos. These advances in technology allow us to easily create and share the world of insects with colleagues, students, the media, friends, and family. Even mundane activities, like insect flight, can be transformed into magical action movies that make insect behavior enjoyable for a whole new audience. Internet video streaming is not only for watching videos of cute kittens, but can also be a great medium for sharing interesting information about the world of insects across the globe. This presentation will discuss the many ways of creating videos of insects and sharing them via the Internet.