Today we went with Lilly's Brownie Troop on a field trip to the Experiment Station to learn about (what else) -- bugs. Note: Lilly's troop is working toward earning their "bug badges".
Here they are "in the field" collecting specimens to study:
{Please note that the little boy excitedly clutching a milkweed beetle is *not* a Brownie Scout; he is apparently a tagalong (no pun intended -- HA HA) brother of one of the legit Brownie Scouts}.
After collecting several more species of specimens, we went inside to inspect them with magnifying glasses, and learn more.
Eventually they unveiled for us cases of specimens for our viewing pleasure.
The most amusing specimen, I thought, was this one:
This particular moth is of the subspecies gene-us simmons-us. LOL, just kidding, I have no idea what kind it is, but it's hilarious.
Another interesting batch of insect specimens was the "Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs". I will sum it up for you as follows:
KILL THEM. BURN THEM WITH FIRE:
and these:
Pet them and love them and call them George:
Very interesting to see how you could be easily tricked into thinking that the "good" bugs are "bad" -- JUST LOOK AT THAT 2-INCH BEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER!!! O__o And the "bad" bugs seem all innocent and unassuming -- a grasshopper? And a cute, sweet lil' ol' butterfly? Come on, now...
(Hmm...kinda like in real life)...who would you trust...
Crazy Uncle Charlie, Ph.D:
(good bug; good, sweet, honest bug)
~or~
BEWARE! SOME RANDOM SERIAL KILLER!:
(BAD BUG! EVIL! BAD! KILL IT WITH FIRE)!
Remember, folks, things usually aren't what they seem, and
PERCEPTION IS NOT REALITY.
PERCEPTION IS NOT REALITY.
NOT EVER.
But, I digress. *ahem* Back to the bugs.
So as I began blogging this, my husband asked me if, during the course of the bug field trip, if I happened find out what kind of bug was on the top of our curtain that day.
Remember me?:
O__o BRRRRR!
So I looked closer at the photos I took of the cases of specimens, and LO AND BEHOLD, lookie what I spotted (in the "Good Bug" section, no less (whew...thank God))!:
It's called a "Wheel Bug". Who knew?
♪...It's a small world after all...
Anyhow, when we got home from the field trip, I noticed that my hibiscus put out what may very well be its last bloom of the season, so I walked down the driveway and took a picture of it:
...aah...so purty...
And as I was walking back up the driveway, what do I see, but a poor, huge, dead, praying mantis. Apparently it had inadvertently been run over by one of our cars, or stepped on by one of our galoot dogs. So, just like always, what did I do? I yelled for Lilly to come check it out. She carried it up to the porch, and slung it on the bench for safekeeping. 'Cause, you know, she's gonna play with it tomorrow.
What next? This better be the end of bugs for a WHILE...!
LOL!
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