11/2/10 Some Insect Embassadors

     I have begun a new pattern of behavior. I go out on Mondays after work and look for something interesting in nature to bring in to work. I work at the University of Central Florida and we have several environmental student organizations.
     So today is Tuesday as I have brought in a Pine Saywer Beetle and a Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea guttata), both which I found out in my swamp yesterday. Both insects were very well behaved all day and many people came by to see them. Both insects are native species in Florida and many people recognized the Lubber Grasshopper.
     As well as giving a small biology lesson, I taught people how to handle insects so they would not get bitten or harm the insect. With both Lubber Grasshoppers and Pine Sawyer Beetles you can pick them up gently around their "shoulders" they cannot turn around to get to you.
     Both insects will be back in the woods Wednesday morning. Both are diurnal insects (they come out in the day) so I release them in their best element. Releaseing them at night might leave them exposed as they did not have time to seek shelter as they normally would have.