Bugs!

Butterflies, beetles, spiders, and more. Courtesy of the Bishop Museum and the Hawaii Public Library System's "Catch a Bug" program - designed to introduce students to the study of insects.



I caught the show at the Kaimuki Public Library last Sunday. Entomologist Shepherd Myers did a great job explaining the basics and keeping the crowd of youngsters (and us adults) enthused.


Reminded me of when I was teaching the younger ones English in South Korea. Changes in tempo and regular opportunities for action are key.


There is actually quite a lot to learn about these little suckers. For example, the Blue Morpho butterfly above never looses its coloring and will remain the same iridescent, vivid blue for hundreds of years.

This Goliath Beetle is one of the largest of its kind, clocking in at about 4 inches. These guys are so big that they sound like a mini-helicopter when they fly.



This was one of the biggest bugs on display. Some kind of katydid, if I remember correctly. Unusual for its straight wings; most insect's wings unfurl, like a ladybug's.





Next up, The Hercules Beetle!
a.k.a "The strongest creature on Earth"

It can lift 850 times its own body weight! Impressive and pretty scary if you imagine meeting a man-sized one of these in a dark alley.






That's the extent of the shots I got. Only one I didn't get that I really wanted was a really long walking stick. Apparently they are the longest insects on Earth and can grow to be longer than a foot although these were a 'mere' 9in.

I'm looking forward to visiting the Bishop Museum sometime soon. There is a whale exhibit going on now and I'd like to see more weird bugs.

The Bishop Museum has the 6th largest collection of insects in the world. How many does it take to be the '6th' largest...?

...13.5 million