The Jews, as is shown by their Talmudic literature, inherited some of these ideas; and it is quite probable that they were passed on to the days of Christianity.
Again, in the early times of Christianity in Northern Africa the Church had to fight against superstitions of an equally strange sort derived from old Egyptian beliefs.

Among the Egyptians, certain insects were sacred and became symbols of divinity,--such as the beetle.

Now I imagine that for these reasons the subject of insects became at an early time a subject which Christianity thought dangerous, and that thereafter a kind of hostile opinion prevailed regarding any literature upon this topic.
However, to-day things are very different.

With the development of scientific studies--especially of microscopic study--it has been found that insects, far from being the lowliest of creatures, are the most highly organized of all beings; that their special senses are incomparably superior to our own; and that in natural history, from the evolutional standpoint, they have to be given first place.

This of course renders it impossible any longer to consider the insect as a trifling subject.
Moreover, the new philosophy is teaching the thinking classes in all Western countries the great truth of the unity of life.