If the masses want more pictures, then more pictures it is!
I've been working really hard on getting Insect-a-Palooza up and running. Lots of moving bugs, getting tons of food for them, getting stabbed by thorns on said food... I logged in five hours today alone. I'm really tired, but I'll be glad when this event is over.
This is Blaberus craniifer, the death's head cockroach. Why is it called that? They say the black blob on the roach's head looks like a vampire's face. Oooh, spooky. Just in time for Halloween!
Even so, they're really more scared of you than you are of them. I think the fear factor is in their numbers. Seeing three hundred swarm out from your pantry can be someone's worst nightmare. These little ones, however...they'd rather burrow under the soil and hide.
Oh, I got one of the hissing cockroachs to hiss. I was trying to hold one, and I guess I pissed it off enough to warrant a response. Left it alone after that.
A female black widow spider. You can see the red hourglass mark on the underside of her abdomen. Gotta be careful when handling this little lady! We have two other black widows, but they're juvenile. The hourglass mark hasn't shown up on their abdomens yet, so they have some growing to do.
A little mantis. From head to thorax, it's probably about 2.5 inches long. This was found on campus by a member of the biology club. Fun fact: mantids have the insect equivalent of pupils. They can and they do watch what you're doing. I hope this little one grows nice and big!
As always, thanks for your awesome comments. I'll answer any questions to the best of my ability.
Shelcario: The only ants we have are the ones that come in by accident with other bugs. We keep food in the lab, so we'd rather they stay out.