An obsession with slugs seems silly. The same would apply to cockroaches. But butterflies, well, that’s a different story altogether. At least this is what Sharman Apt Russell seems to suggest in her book “An Obsession with Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair with a Singular Insect.”

Fascination and obsession with butterflies is commonly associated with children, but there are many who never shed their interest in the brightly colored insects. “An Obsession with Butterflies” is a poetically scientific look at why butterflies garner so much interest from both children and fully-grown adults.

Russell begins by elucidating upon her own interest in butterflies and that of others. Throughout history there have been quite a few famous lepidopterists — those who study or collect butterflies and/or moths — namely the novelist Vladimir Nabokov and a contemporary of Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace.

Many myths surround this brightly-colored insect. For example, “A black butterfly means death. Hordes of butterflies predict famine. White butterflies mean a rainy summer. Butterflies bring the spring.”

In addition to their mythological significance and aesthetic appeal, butterflies are interesting from a scientific perspective. The many techniques they have evolved for mating, avoiding predators and collecting food are illuminated by Russell, an example being the metalmark caterpillar, which has developed a relationship with ants in which the caterpillar benefits from their protection in exchange for a clear fluid it excretes to the nutritional enjoyment of the ants.

The metamorphosis butterflies go through is unique. “A bag of goo crawls on a leaf, obsessed with eating. It hangs upside down. It becomes something else. A butterfly is born, a bit of blue heaven, a jazzy design.” Indeed, this metamorphosis is part of the unique lure of butterflies.

Russell explains the scientific appeal of butterflies with a poetic flair. In fact, she indulges in poetic writing throughout the book, sometimes to the point of overindulgence. Her writing is flowery and contemplative, almost dreamy — one could say it is butterfly-esque in the way it flutters through different aspects of Lepidoptera.

While being somewhat “fluffy,” “An Obsession with Butterflies” has a good deal of engaging and interesting content. I learned a lot about entomology, a subject I am unfamiliar with, and it was much less intellectually strenuous than reading a textbook or dense scientific work.

Russell is giddy with the subject of butterflies and it shows through her writing. Though I didn’t find myself coming away from the book with the same obsession she has, the work is compelling in its excitement about a singular subject and the view I have of the insect world has changed from ambivalence to wonder.

“An Obsession with Butterflies” blends science, art and nature together into a rather light read that will leave you wanting to know more, and maybe help you revisit your fleeting childhood interest in our fluttering friends.