The insects were a little sluggish this morning but that didn’t stop the kids from having a great time! Dr. Duke, a local entomologist and MSU agricultural agent, led the insect discovery hike today. The children looked at some preserved specimens of local insects before the hike but Dr. Duke’s live Hercules Beetle stole the show! The Hercules Beetle lives in the southern United States and is the biggest beetle any of the children had ever seen! When it was time to hike, each child got a net and container for collecting insects along the hike. We found spider wasps, grasshoppers, damselflies, stinkbugs, galls, insect eggs, flies, butterflies, and evidence of insects on tree leaves! After the hike the children brought back their containers and identified the insects they had caught with the help of Dr. Duke and a microscope. The insects were released back into the grass just in time to hide from the afternoon rain shower. Thanks Dr. Duke for the wonderful hike and for sharing your time with the children. Anyone can find creepy crawlies so keep your eyes open when you are outside!