BUG

after work had to make a trip to the supermarket but I found a beautiful katydid on the wall outside which is only the second time I've seen one! Very exciting

and then later I noticed a praying mantis bobbing up and down on a window so I started mimicking it as a beat to dance to

and finally late tonight I found a large cricket hopping around on the carpet so I picked it up and it crawled onto the tip of my pointer finger and started to move it's wings and I could feel the vibrations on my finger until it flew off about a minute later. coolest sensation honestly. I could feel this little guy moving its wings. how sick is that

the earwig: i'm going to pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pi-

me, successfully putting a glass over it: perfect! outside we go!

the earwig, running laps inside the glass: -nch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you pinch you p-

me, gently shaking the earwig off into some dirt: that's better!

Or search 'bug of the year nz' in your search engine, you'll find it :)

I have personally given my votes to the Giant Pill Millipede, Taranga Pill Woodlouse, and Kahuwai/Black Tunnelweb Spider. Just cause I love spiders and anything isopod-like most of all.

BUT I do want to give a shoutout to the Avatar Moth who is in serious danger of losing their habitat, the Iolanthe Cicada who is incredibly difficult to find and described as 'semi-mythical', the Canterbury Knobbled Weevil who was thought to be extinct until just a few years ago (they're still in danger!), and the Amber Snail who is also suffering from habitat changes brought about by humans.

You can take get more information on each of the nominees here if you just want to learn about some bugs in Aotearoa :)

me: 👁👄👁

But when I looked down it wasn't on my arm anymore

And I was like that's weird, I didn't see it jump off and run away again...

Behold