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. 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.
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.
The 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.
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.