Amateur
Entomologists'
Society

Trails and Tales 2007 Report

A Bug Clubber comes face-to-face with a fish tank full of Indian Stick Insects at Osterley Park

A Bug Clubber comes face-to-face with a fish tank full of Indian Stick Insects at Osterley Park.

The AES Bug Club held a successful event at Osterley Park, West London, in collaboration with the National Trust on 9th August, where in addition to Bug Clubbers, there were around 120 children in attendance during the afternoon.

We took along some AES and Bug Club information, a large container of the Indian Stick Insect, Carausius morosus, and some 'moths on a log' - an idea begun by Colin Hart and which is beginning to become a staple item at AES outreach events!

Three bug hunts took place, involving hordes of children and a few adults. These were led by Dr David Lonsdale, AES Conservation Secretary and Bug Hunter Extraordinaire, who seemed to know just about everything about most things! (For example, did you know that earthworms die when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, even after just a few minutes of being on the surface of the ground during rainy weather?)

Bug Clubber Glenn Knight impressed all those present with his observational prowess, including finding, deep in a rotten log, a female Stag Beetle - the first Stag Beetle record the National Trust warden was aware of at Osterley. He also found the pupal case from which it had very recently emerged.

While all this was going on, Dafydd, rather taken aback by the fact that some of the youngsters present seemed to know more about entomology than he did, concentrated on helping Emily, the National Trust organiser, and the younger children to make badges, head-dresses and other insect craft items. He seemed to be enjoying himself!

Dafydd Lewis