This is a Pill Bug. A Potato Bug. An Armadillidium vulgare. Or, as we like to say, a Roly-Poly.You are probably familiar with these little guys. When they feel threatened they roll into perfect little balls. My three oldest kids are completely enchanted by these little crustaceans.
My kids are also really into caterpillars. We have collected some and are hoping to watch as they transform from their current state into butterflies (or, more likely, moths). We have talked a lot about the process of metamorphosis, and the children are keenly aware of the major change that will happen to our caterpillars. If we can keep them alive, that is!
Since we've been pretty focused on all things creepy and crawly, I purchased two little bug houses for the kids. They are really inexpensive plastic and mesh creations, but the kids LOVE capturing different insects and then housing them in their little cages. The Most Frequently Captured Award goes to the infamous Roly-Poly group. Nathan and Nia never seem to tire of catching those little guys.
Yesterday Nathan had placed his cage (which had about 5 Roly-Polies inside) on the kitchen counter. He was off doing something else when Nick came into the kitchen. Thinking and acting quickly, Nick caught a fly that was buzzing annoyingly in the kitchen, and placed it in Nathan's bug house. He knew Nathan would get a kick out of his newest specimen. Nick left the cage on the counter and headed back outside to continue working on a project.
A while later Nathan comes racing out to see Nick. He is yelling excitedly and waving his bug house in front of Nick's face.
"Dad?! Dad?! You know how caterpillars turn into butterflies? Well, Roly-Polies turn into flies! See?"
You learn something new every day.
2 comments:
That's a scream, Rachel!
If you are keeping caterpillars inside your house in a cage waiting for them to spin their little place and then hatch out into a butterfly (or moth), make sure you water the cage ... I learned from doing when my boys were small. We got to see an enormous lunar moth hatch and it was pretty amazing! But the year before, we had captured a big huge caterpillar and didn't know about the water issue and ... nothing hatched.
Hilarious!
Roly-poly collecting is Matthew's favorite pastime right now too!
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