Every species has many stories and lessons for us. For example, mealworms can digest styrofoam, which we have known without investigating for 30+ years. Deathshead roaches demonstrate psychological elements of being human by being an example of pareidolia, and assassin mimic roaches show Batesian mimicry (in contrast to Mullerian mimicry shown in wasps and bees). When you choose any group, Tarantulas /Mantises /Roaches /isopods you can take a close look to expand the mind.
Keeping a mix of species including roaches and isopods allows me to incorporate waste from mantises, tarantulas, and reptiles into other groups as feed, living and learning cycles in the environment. These experiences as a hobbiest builds familiarity through fascination, and, similar to learning a new plant, it enhances life experience by seeing through the mundane to pick out detail and connection.
I aim to support others interested in bugs and the wellbeing of arthropods around the world. We (each of us as a community) desperately need to reach out in non-biased and nurturing ways to people that are scared of these tiny neighbors, to offer an interesting focus on these armored marvels. I am working on spreading education in the future with resin art, the mobile bug zoo, more informational YT videos, and recently a new line of stickers/pins.
From compost enhancing Roly-polies, which are a type of crustacean, to alien-like top predator mantises, arthropods come in all shapes and sizes, and are just waiting to teach us more about the Earth we all have in common.