Any other hobby entomologists here?

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TOMTE said:
What species do you keep? Are there any you would recommend for a first time tarantula owner? Any that you WOULDN'T recommend? I love tarantulas so much, got to hold one for the first time at a local "bug zoo" about a year ago, as well as a scorpion. I don't remember what species either of them were... I think the scorpion was maybe Heterometrus spinifer? I was surprised at how heavy it was!
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I wouldn't recommend any Old World species for a beginner, they're often quite beautiful but more feisty and mistakes are punished quite harshly because the majority of them have very painful bites. Poecilotheria species for example are very popular in the pet trade but some people have reported permanent or very long-term nerve damage from getting bit by them. Another Old World species that's very popular but you shouldn't start out with, although many people do, are OBTs (Orange Baboon Tarantulas). They are striking in color but tend to be pretty aggressive in personality, hence their nickname among hobbyists "Orange Bitey Thing". I also wouldn't recommend starting with an arboreal species even if it's New World- they're much more sensitive and less forgiving of mistakes in husbandry, and many people just starting out have gotten discouraged because they started with arboreals and killed them by mistake. Any terrestrial New World species is a good starter tarantula, I personally like the genuses Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, Acanthoscurria, and Grammostola best. All are terrestrial New World species that are attractive and docile in personality. Acanthoscurria spiders are big eaters if you enjoy the feeding part of spider keeping, Grammostola spiders are tough as nails but tend to be pet rocks and spend days not doing much of anything. If you like dwarf tarantulas, I recommend Phrixotrichus scrofa, the Chilean Copper tarantula because they're beautiful and easy to care for.
 
Pigeony said:
I wouldn't recommend any Old World species for a beginner, they're often quite beautiful but more feisty and mistakes are punished quite harshly because the majority of them have very painful bites. Poecilotheria species for example are very popular in the pet trade but some people have reported permanent or very long-term nerve damage from getting bit by them. Another Old World species that's very popular but you shouldn't start out with, although many people do, are OBTs (Orange Baboon Tarantulas). They are striking in color but tend to be pretty aggressive in personality, hence their nickname among hobbyists "Orange Bitey Thing". I also wouldn't recommend starting with an arboreal species even if it's New World- they're much more sensitive and less forgiving of mistakes in husbandry, and many people just starting out have gotten discouraged because they started with arboreals and killed them by mistake. Any terrestrial New World species is a good starter tarantula, I personally like the genuses Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, Acanthoscurria, and Grammostola best. All are terrestrial New World species that are attractive and docile in personality. Acanthoscurria spiders are big eaters if you enjoy the feeding part of spider keeping, Grammostola spiders are tough as nails but tend to be pet rocks and spend days not doing much of anything. If you like dwarf tarantulas, I recommend Phrixotrichus scrofa, the Chilean Copper tarantula because they're beautiful and easy to care for.
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Thank you so much! This was a much more in depth answer than I was expecting :D
 
Just found this little dude on the back porch! Hope he doesn't wander near the chickens!

Praying mantis were my favorite growing up. I'd take them for show n tell at school and try to find all of them I could on the farm.
 

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CoopBoots said:
Ooh, I like this thread. I love butterflies, mantids, and have a growing interest in spiders...

Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. I currently have two chrysalises that should hatch soon:
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Monarch female; unfortunately my milkweed looks rough this year and I doubt we'll see caterpillars:
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I'm raising Cecropia caterpillars this year for the first time! Husband paints Warhammer and wanted a model to pose with it, haha:
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They have mostly cocooned now and I won't see moths until next year, assuming they stay healthy over the winter! 🤞

I've raised Luna moths, Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, Gulf Fritilaries, and a few other fairly random moth types. I've also done a little beekeeping, but I've been too busy with family and chickens to get back into it yet...
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That’s awesome! My partner is into Warhammer too lol 😂
*Edited to add* I showed her the photo and she says that Iron Hands is a bold choice 😂

I’ve always wanted to get into beekeeping, that’s going to be one of my first projects once I get my own property 😁
 
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TOMTE said:
Now that I'm thinking about beekeeping...

I love honey but I'm not supposed to have it (I'm on a low FODMAP diet for suspected IBS)... And I really would love to help the native bee population.

Honeybees are invasive in the United States and are a big part of the decimation of native bees and other pollenators here. So it would be cool to research structures for housing our native pollenators, caring for those instead!

Has anyone here ever looked into that? Might be a fun collaborative project!

I have a small bug house that mud daubers and paper wasps, and some mason bees love to use. I'm planning on nailing it to the outside of the chicken run. But I want to do something on a large scale eventually to help out the species that are most beneficial and struggling to make it because of the competition from honeybees!
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Oh wow! I had no idea that honeybees are invasive! 🤯

Now I’m going to have to dive down a rabbithole of pollinator research 😅
 

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