Bug Love

Published June 10, 2009 @ 04:30PM PT

No, not love between bugs, but love for bugs. That's right--I like bugs, a lot. I watch them. I take photos of them. And as long as they're not biting me, I don't mind when they crawl around on me either. (Someday I'll tell you about how fascinating it feels to have a walking stick moving gently across your face, checking out the terrain, and what it feels like to have neighbors stare at you like you've lost it when you're lying in the grass in your pajamas at 6:30 a.m. watching ants move along a garden-hose freeway.) And obviously, I don't (intentionally) kill them.

So I'm naturally pleased to have discovered the Web site BugGuide.net:

We are an online community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and sharing our observations of insects, spiders, and other related creatures.

We enjoy the opportunity to instill in others the fascination and appreciation that we share for the intricate lives of these oft-maligned creatures.

Awesome. And their method makes me love them even more: "We collect photographs of bugs from the United States and Canada for identification and research." When I first stumbled upon the site, I waded warily through it, worried that I was at some point going to run into celebration of the practice of killing, collecting, and displaying. But so far, so good!

If you have a fascinating tiny friend sharing your home or yard you want help identifying, or you just want to learn more about insects and other arthropods in general, check out this site. (You can consult InsectIdentification.org as well.)

Photo by Michelle Lynn St. Sauveur, submitted to BugGuide.net

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Comments (3)

Fireflies rock. Spiders, too!

Posted by Kelly Garbato on 06/10/2009 @ 07:43PM PT
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Honestly, I'm surprised it took you this long to finally do a bug article!!! Your blog about the ants on the garden hose made me stop & actually appreciate them. I don't "do" bugs, but you have made me stop & think, and that's a big deal for me.

Posted by Lisa Smolen on 06/11/2009 @ 07:51AM PT
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Great addition! People think I'm crazy when I take flies and spiders back outside instead of squashing them, but I think that every life deserves a chance. Teach children to respect every living thing and they will respect other people as well.
I've had 3 black widow spiders in my house this year alone. I take them as far away from the house as I can, but I do not kill them. They are beautiful when you look at them up close.
Thou shalt not kill....means all living things. Thanks for the great site!

Posted by Michele McCowan on 06/11/2009 @ 09:44AM PT
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Stephanie is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull.