entomology
favorite bugs
centipede
info
scolopendra gigantea
general facts
giant centipedes can grow up to a foot long.
centipedes can swim in water.
handling and care
if you keep your centipede's enclosure warm, it will cause him to grow faster and eat more.
if you keep the enclosure cold, it can make him live longer and eat less.
be careful handling centipedes.
defense mechanisms
centipedes have front feet that are sharp and can inject venom into their prey.
their venom is unlike most dangerous insects, it has powerful effects on skeletal muscles, heart, and brain.
centipedes typically aim for the thorax. there are clusters of nerves there, so it makes it
easier to neutralize the prey and keep them from running away by paralyzing them.
they can attack from the front end of their body, or their back end. there are strong pincers on each side.
habitat and diet
giant centipedes typically feed on frogs, spiders, lizards, birds, and small mammals.
they can live in rotten timber and leaf debris. they thrive in humid environments, so keeping their
habitat moist and room temperature helps them survive.
millipede
info
archispirostreptus gigas
general facts
a full grown milipede has 30-40 body segments, with each segment containing 4 legs.
there are 10,000~ species of millipede.
handling and care
keeping their habitat humid is crucial. misting their enclosure, keeping a moist substrate, and keeping their food fresh are all ways to keep your millipede hydrated.
defense mechanisms
the ways millipedes protect themselves are coiling up/curling into a ball, and excreting an irritant from under their body segments.
habitat and diet
millipedes typically live under mulch, dead leaves, or under piles of grass/plant clippings.
they can eat damp or decaying wood particles, decaying fruit, fungi, or manure.
moth
info
lepidoptera
general facts
there are more moths in the world than butterflies.
moths can grow up to 36 centimeters.
handling and care
moths typically live from 1-6 months.
for housing, always keep options for good footing such as branches and screens.
defense mechanisms
moths defend themselves by camoflauge. they can disguise themselves as
predators, plants, or just make themselves appear larger.
habitat and care
when keeping a pet moth, it is important to keep their enclosure darker, cooler, and
keep native plants to feed on. like butterflies, moths drink the nectar from flowers.
spider
info
salticidae
general facts
jumping spiders can grow up to 2-22mm
there are over 5,000 species of jumping spiders.
handling and care
jumping spiders are intelligent and resilient. they can adapt to most habitats.
they can be fed live insects such as flies, mosquitoes, moths, and ants
defense mechanisms
jumping spiders don't have much to protect themselves. but, they can leap far from their predator.
habitat and diet
jumping spiders can live in vegetation, wood piles, and rocky habitats.
they can eat small live insects as previously stated.
stinkbug
info
halyomorpha halys
general facts
the lifespan of stinkbugs is 6-8 months. they can lay up to 400 eggs in their lifetime. stinkbugs can help protect your plants against destructive pests.
handling and care
when taking care of a stinkbug, you should feed it fruits and vegetables to give them nutrients and keep them hydrated. stinkbugs prefer to live with a living plant. they can feed off of it, drink the juices, and hide under it or its leaves.
defense mechanisms
the main defense mechanism of stinkbugs is emitting a foul smell.
habitat and diet
some examples of things stinkbugs can feed on are apples, peaches, berries, peppers, beans, and pecans.
stinkbugs generally live in cracks and under tree back during the winter, during the warmer months, they can live in
buildings, leaf litter, and vegetation.
tarantula
info
avicularia avicularia
general facts
a tarantula can grow up to 4.75 inches on their body, and and have a leg span of 11 inches.
handling and care
when keeping tarantulas, they prefer to live on their own. a general rule for an enclosure is
measure the leg span, multiply it by three (3), and that should be the length of the enclosure.
when handling your tarantula, be mindful of its behaviors. if you scare or threaten it, it can shoot
coarse hairs from their body.
tarantulas like having a place to hide, so a large piece of bark, a hollow log,
or a broken clay pot work.
they dont do well with direct light. so don't shine a light near their enclosure or expose them
to direct sunlight.
defense mechanisms
tarantulas can shoot course hairs from their body and get them stuck in your skin.
they also have large fangs that can pierce the skin and inject venom.
the venom isn't harmful to humans.
habitat and diet
tarantulas live better alone, if you have multiple tarantulas, then you should keep them seperate.
tarantulas feed on insects such as crickets, mealworms, superworms, and roaches.
but, larger species can also eat small mice and lizards.
hissing roach
info
gromphadorhina portentosa
general facts
the madagascar hissing cockroach is one of the largest species of cockroach in the world. they dont have wings like other species.
handling and care
when keeping a hissing roach, you should keep it in a darker environment. They live best on their own, because they are very territorial. Keep their terrarium warm and humid/moist.
defense mechanisms
the main defense mechanism of these roaches is hissing. while doing this, they also adjust their posture to make themselves seem bigger and taller. but, they have sharp spines on their legs that can draw blood if you hold them too tight.
habitat and diet
like previously stated, keep your roaches in a warm, dark, and secluded place. they like to feed on rotting wood, plants, and ripe fruit. when you are giving your roaches water, make sure to put a sponge in the bottom of the water dish so they dont fall in and drown.