My Newest Friend

A while ago, I visited a local antique shop, entered a giveaway while I was waiting in line, and won! I am always happy to win a gift card to a place that I will be happy to spend the money. We knew that we wanted to spend the gift card on another insect to add to our 40+ specimen collection. The beetles are my favorite, but we already have a wonderful atlas beetle with it's wings out from our favorite taxidermy shop, Deyrolle in Paris, France. Part of his charm is that he was a steal (discounted in the "damaged" section because his wing was slightly torn), wasn't technically legal to bring into the USA, and he was one of the first insects that sparked my love of entomology. 

I was thinking we would get another insect that we don't have yet. We have a variety of butterflies, an atlas moth (the largest moth in the world), luna moths, a couple of local beetles, a local lubber, a walking stick, and more, all mounted in frames. We didn't expect to purchase a beetle that we already have, except that this beetle was suspended in a cloche, a bell jar, and not in a frame. 

It might sound kind of crazy, but in a cloche this atlas beetle seems more pet-like, and we can view him from every angle to study him. He's a fantastic asset to the natural world and I get so proud when I see them preserved forever. The world should always be able to admire these incredible creatures and to learn from them.

It's no secret that I'm an admirer of all things natural, and while it might seems strange that an ex-vegetarian would keep deer antlers and taxidermy insects in her house, I feel so grounded being surrounded by nature and science. One day, I'd like to adopt a beetle and keep him as a pet instead of as a wonderful piece of science. But I still have so much to learn about beetles before I adopt one to live in my house instead of nature.