All's Fair in Bug and War...

This year I went behind the scenes at The Natural History Museum's 26th annual Bug Fair, arguably the museum's biggest and most epic event of the year. As a volunteer for the Education & Exhibits dept., I got to spend two days geeking out with some of our planet's most famous invertebrata. I worked the early shift, assisting 60+ vendors in setting up their wares (alive and otherwise), preparing orzo for a bug chef, freezing mealworms, oogling the polychaetes and generally crawling around having a great time talking to people.

More than 7,000 visitors a day? Next time buy your tickets online, folks.

 

Not to be confused with Anthropologie's new spring collection.

This cool dude from Utah worked for Chapul, the original cricket bar (they are actually super delicious, like a super moist Clif bar, but way better). Feed the revolution! 

 

The Harrel House of Natural Oddities is practically preppy amongst this crowd.

Some sleepy silkworms from Dr. Sue's Traveling Insect and Arthropod Zoo. I saw a group of little girls  carrying bags full of these guys. One girl took a silkworm out to play with it and accidentally dropped it on the floor. Light yellow juice squirted out of its head when she picked it up, and she asked me if she could exchange it for a new one. I told her to fry it up when she got home.

This is my new friend, Hissy the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. He was so excited to meet me that he jumped right out of my hand and fell on his head. (Don't worry, no yellow juice squirted out).

Does this mask make my thorax look wider?