Pull up a stool, grab a drink and learn something new.

While eating bugs may have once been reserved for gross-out competition TV shows such as Fear Factor, there has been an increased interest in edible insects in Western countries where this food resource has been largely overlooked.

Join Julie Lesnik, assistant professor in Wayne State’s Department of Anthropology, as she discusses the burgeoning area of research and commerce dedicated to edible insects such as crickets, mealworms and other bug-related delicacies. We will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at HopCat Detroit's Huma Room in Midtown. The presentation begins at 6 p.m.

Lesnik’s primary interest is in the evolution of the human diet, specifically entomophagy, or eating insects. Her work includes an assessment of the nutritional role that termites would have fulfilled in the diet of South African robust australopithecines and identification of which taxa of termites would be the most likely candidates for consumption.

Knowledge on Tap consists of live — and lively — discussions with some of Detroit’s greatest minds. The events are held every other month at a Midtown bar or restaurant and feature an informal presentation by one of Wayne State’s renowned faculty members on a topic of their choice, followed by dynamic conversation. All Knowledge on Tap events are free, open to the public and require no educational background. All ages are welcome.