I took my daughter to a Girl Scout “All About Animals” Event in Albuquerque on Saturday and The Bug Lady was there.
That’s a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach crawling up her arm. She fondly told us it is her special pet. She keeps quite a large insect collection in her home and she shared with us that her pet cockroach had gotten out of it’s aquarium tank last year and had been missing for several weeks. She was visibly happy having her hissing cockroach safe and sound on her arm again.
But the vision of loose cockroaches and creepy crawlies running amok throughout her home made me wonder if she gets many visitors staying overnight in her home.
My guess is no.
The Bug Lady is quite fascinating, though. She reminded me of Mrs. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus Books, in that she is thrilled about her insects and loves to educate and share them with others.
One of the things that the girls were excited about is that The Bug Lady doesn’t keep her specimens under glass. Instead she encourages everyone to pick them up, hold and observe them.
Which we did.
I had to hold them first before Jen would agree to pick one up. I suppose she figured that if I wasn't screaming in terror, holding a dead bug would be just fine. This is the New Mexico State Insect: The Tarantula Hawk Wasp, so named because their main diet is tarantulas. Their sting is among the most painful of all insects, so this is probably the only opportunity we will ever have to hold one.
I must admit to having creepy critter phobia, but these creepy crawlies weren’t alive, and that is 95% of the phobia.
So after we picked up our first bug and realized it wasn’t going to attack and eat us, it was really no big deal.
And I have to admit it was pretty cool, too.
These Jewel Beetles were my favorite.
I thought they were beautiful. But their exoskeleton fascinated me even more. It felt oddly like some kind of strong metal.
19 comments :
your daughter was brave. But I didn't see you holding a scorpion.
Did you take some of the cast home? They make beautiful brooches,
Like I said in my post, I held the insects first and then my daughter held them. Besides it's a little difficult to take a good, clear macro with only one hand on the camera.
No bugs came home with us. As I said in my post, all the insects were the property of The Bug Lady. She was kind enough to let us all examine and hold them. We weren't about to steal them.
~Lisa
Even knowing they wouldn't eat me would not be enough for me. Can't do it. Nope, nope.
What a fun day! I'm glad to see your daughter is a Girl Scout. I did many fun things as a scout, back in the day! And, bugs! How interesting.
your a great MOM...love the beetles...
Sorry to say but for me it would be NO WAY!! I hate bugs and spiders and especially ones that large!
Oh lucky you, that rocks..:-))
Ewwww!!!! Congratulations - you succeeded in giving me the heebie jeebies over the net! Bugs don't normally bother me, but cockroaches....different story. Rest of it looked pretty cool though!
it took me twice to get thru this post cuz i started to feel ill - before i got to your disclaimer that they were dead. that helped a little.
even dead i would not touch them!
EEEyuck! But... fascinating!
How lucky for the kids to be introduced to bugs (insects and arachnids) that way.
Whenever I went to the Smithsonian museum (we used to take 6th graders to DC) I had to drag my group up to the insect museum - they had hissing cockroaches, too, as well as all kinds of insects. They even had a clear beehive.
Good for you and Jen. Not my favorite thing.
Dan
looks like a great educational experience for the kids , but I gotta give in to my failings anf say EWWW!!
Fascinating...hey, can you tell me what the big black beetles are that are crawling all over the place out in the country? Silly guys just moseying along...
eww bugs!!!!! Jen looks like she's having fun though.
Those bugs are called Piñacate beetles and are a common site in NM. We just call 'em stink bugs around our place because if you mess with 'em they'll spray a noxious liquid that sort of smells like kerosene.
We've not seen any yet, but if we do our chickens will make fast snacks out of them. Yay!
~Lisa
I like them best when I don't have to touch them - whether dead or alive... :-) When I was a kid though, I used to catch grasshoppers to feed our baboons... had to be quick or the lizards on the wall would steal my catch...
Wow you are brave! I dont think i would want to hold them. But I have to say someone with enthusiasum like that may make a difference so the kida arent creped out by bugs.
Yikes! Not a bug or snake person but it was neat for you and your daughter to get to see these creatures.
Please forgive me for skipping this post. I hate bugs!! Eek!
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