It was her second year at BugFest, but this time Sandra Paa was showing off a different bug — phasmids, commonly known as walking sticks due to their twig-like appearance.
Last year, Paa was an undergraduate working the beetles booth.
“I’m a graduate student in entemology, and most of the students get themselves involved in BugFest one way or another,” Paa said.
BugFest is a networking tool and way to educate the public about bugs for students like Paa.
And for Paa, this year’s BugFest was even better than last year’s because of how much fun she had working at her booth.
“A lot of people don’t like to hold the big walking sticks,” she said. “I like to hold them because they’re sort of my babies and I did a lot of work with them.”
Paa conducted a research project on these walking sticks for the Museum of Phasmids.
But her favorite part, she said, is the reactions she gets from people who stop by at the table.
BugFest draws different crowds
A few blocks away from Moore Square stands the Museum of Natural Sciences, which sponsored the BugSPARK portion of the SPARKcon festival. T-shirt booths, game booths and the typical bug-infested food both lined the street to the entrance of the museum. Crackers, cheese and meal worms, shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, herbs and sauteed crickets, crab meat and special sauce all rolled in a chick pea and meal worm pancakes were some of the free delicacies generously offered to those brave enough to try.
Marjorie Griffiths, a junior in food science, smiled encouragingly behind the table as she served delicious treats to the curious. Occasionally a group chant of ‘Chew! Chew! Chew!’ rang loud and clear, as people stared down these unusual dishes of bugs.
“The bugs are high in protein and the kids love them,” Griffith said. “I haven’t spent a lot of time in downtown Raleigh and I think it’s really neat.”
But the event was so big that not everyone had a chance to get a taste.
“We couldn’t find bugs to eat,” Matt Tomasulo, a graduate student in landscape architecture, said.
Some of the events and displays
Beehive Hairdo Contest
Participants wore their “best beehive hairdos” and signed up at the Marigold Parlour Beehive Demo Tent. Audience members judged the contest and the winner received “a special buggy prize.”
Cafe InsectaRestaurants called Dos Taquitos Centro, Jujube, Lotus Leaf Cafe and Acro Cafe prepared special bug dishes for passers-by.
The Backyard BeekeeperParticipants had the chance to explore the biology and management of a backyard hive and see an active honeybee hive. They were also taught an interesting, low-cost approach to keeping backyard bees, and where to obtain these honeybees, equipment and advice.
SOURCE: bugfest.org
What are phasmids?These insects, more commonly known as walking sticks, come from the order of Phasmida. The ordinal name comes from the Latin word “phasma” meaning spectre or ghost — most of the species camouflage as sticks and leaves.
SOURCE: phasmid-study-group.org
Daniell Pittner contributed to this story.
