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Entomology

Department of Entomology

CFAES

Wooster United Titanium Bug Zoo

Post-doc Luis Martinez Villegas with UTBZ Australian Walking Stick

Contributed by Jeni Filbrun, program manager, United Titanium Bug Zoo

Awesome interns! 

This year the United Titanium Bug Zoo (UTBZ) had the luxury of having two interns. Oneli Basnagala was our summer intern who was part of the Ohio State Research Internship Program.Oneli Basnagala, left She had a great summer working on informational signage and learning the care of all the animals in the zoo!  Allison Davis is the fall/winter intern who is a sophomore at Ohio State ATI looking to transfer to Columbus to earn an entomology degree.

If you have visited our department’s website, you may have seen the hard work of the interns and Erin Parker adding to the “Meet the Collection” page. There, you can find information on each of the ambassadors of the United Titanium Bug Zoo.Malaysian Jungle Nymph

We also adopted a few new insects from Purdue University while they are in the process of hiring a new outreach specialist. We are caring for their higher-level care animals until they are ready for them again. 

Taxi Cab BeetleThe UTBZ outreach team has been busy reaching more than 2500 students so far this year! Entomology Graduate Student Association, interns, and the dedicated volunteers have made this possible!

Featured Bug Zoo Arthropod

Walking Leaves, Phyllium philippinicum

Habitat/Range:  Tropical forests in the Philippines.Walking Leaves, Phyllium philippinicum
Diet:   Oak, Rose, Guava, and Raspberry leaves.
Lifespan:  Approximately 1 year.
Fun Fact:  An adult female can lay 1-3 eggs per day and take four months to hatch.

Walking Leaf Close-upWalking Leaf eggs close-up