Friday, May 14, 2010

Bug-ket List

A lot of people have a 'Bucket List." A list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket!!
What's on yours?

I just got done reading this post on my good friend's blog: http://crochetingingeorgia.blogspot.com/2010/05/moth-identification.html

And realized I have a Bugket list. A list of bugs I want to see before I die. Even if not in their natural habitats, to see them up close would be amazing. Because I know quite well from experience that most often, photos of bugs just don't do them justice!!

First on my list is the Oleander Sphinx Hawk Moth. I drew one of them in my "30 Bugs in 30 Days" series (hard to believe this time last year I was starting that series!). It lives in parts of Asia and Africa and migrates over to Europe for the summer. Looks like I have some traveling to do!!

A little closer to home (but not for long since I'm moving some time this summer) is the Pink Katydid! I can't even remember how I found out about this thing. I believe I just Google-image-searched for pink bugs and lo and behold, apparently right here in the Pennsylvania mountains, you can find them! They are very rare (you would be, too, if you were fluorescent pink hanging out on a bunch of green plants with hungry birdies flying all around), but it sure would be neat to be able to find one. Since I'm moving to DC, PA won't be too far away and maybe I'd be able to plan a weekend of hiking next year if I don't get to find one this year.

Or, perhaps, I could plan a trip with a little more purpose...

According to this blog, next time I'm visiting my in-laws, I should go have a look at this nature preserve near Chicago. Apparently they had some there!
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/chicago_gardener/2007/07/katy-you-didnt-.html

Here is another great blog from a guy who seems to like bugs just as much as me, all about his encounters with pink katydids! Awesome!
http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/search/label/pink%20katydid


4 comments:

Doris Sturm said...

Those pink Katydids are amazing. I had a green one once on my car's windhield and I photographed it before I realized it was dead.

Wow! You know bugs really do give me the creeps, yet I am oddly fascinated with them. I guess it's ok to look at them on TV or on the computer, but I would not want to go out and be amongst them, not really - at leat not on purpose (I know, I'm a whimp!)

Thanks for mentioning my blog, Samantha, and I had totally forgottoen you painted that moth in your 30 bugs a day series.

Will you be doing any more painting anytime soon? I know you're so busy training. It's hard to squeeze it all in.

Bye for now, my friend :-)

Samantha G said...

Hi Doris!

I'm working on a caterpillar triptych, it's small, but little by little it's getting done.

I love bugs, too, but every now and then I get up close and personal with one that freaks me out. A couple of weeks ago it was getting dark, and I was out running, and I Saw these two HUGE millipedes that, normally, I would've stopped to check out.. but honestly they were kind of freaky ;)

michael said...

Hello there!

Im happy to discover your site.

Nice artworks!


-michael

Samantha G said...

Thank you Michael!