Introverts with Inverts

Arizona Insect Festival 2023

The festival is a free event held yearly by the University of Arizona's Department of Entomology to encourage understanding and learning of our native insects.

There was a lot for all ages to see and learn. It was amazing seeing so many people interested in insects! Everyone was here for a love of insects, and/or they wanting to learn more about them.

Most of the live insects were found in the wild around Tucson and seem to be well cared for by students, professors, and/or faculty in captivity. It was amazing seeing live native insects as well as dried specimens of less common species.

Some other notable species at the festival that are native to AZ not pictured: Phidippus octopunctatus male and female, Latrodectus hesperus (Western Black Widow), Peucetia viridans (Green Lynx Spider), Araneus gemmoides (Cat-Faced Orb Weaver), Aphonopelma chalcodes mature male and female (Desert Blonde Tarantulas), Scolopendra heros (Giant Desert Centipede), and tons of native bettles including Cryptoglossa variolosa (Black Death Feigning Bettles), Xyloryctes thestalus (Rhinoceros Bettles), and Gibbifer californicus (Pleasing Fungus Beetle).

It was great seeing others excited about insects! I even had the opportunity to meet Peter Clausen with bugsincyberspace and see the great variety of native insects he brought. They included several Olios gianteus (Giant Crab Spiders), three color variations of Stagmomantis limbata and the largest Misumena sp. (Flower Crab Spider) I've ever seen! He also had a large female Kukulcania arizonica (Black Hole Spider) that resided within a .

I had a really good time attending my first Arizona Insect Festival and I hope to make next year's!

2- Poecilotettix pantherinus (Panther-Spotted Grasshopper)
3- Hadrurus arizonensis (Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion)
4- Hogna carolinensis Wolf Spider)
5-Dactylotum bicolor (Rainbow Grasshopper)
6- Mastigoproctus tohono (The Arizona Giant Vinegaroon)
7- Pompilidae sp. (Tarantula Hawk Wasp)

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