La cigale

Émilie discovers little creatures that are sometimes found in our homes: woodlice. Did you know that they are not insects but crustaceans?

Émilie finds a praying mantis. This magnificent insect is a hunting specialist!

Émilie learns about the American water strider, also known as the “giant water bug.” Bill shows her how to set up a small aquarium so she can see how this insect breathes underwater and hunts its prey.

Émilie brings Bill a huge spider. It is a dolomede or water spider. Bill has a tarantula make a silk thread.

Bill and Émilie are interested in a small caterpillar that looks like bird droppings. It is the caterpillar of the viceroy butterfly, which mimics the monarch.

Émilie catches a small insect with very long antennae. It is a black longhorn beetle. Bill shows her other insects with surprising antennae.

Émilie discovers a large moth that seems to have owl-like eyes on its wings. Bill shows Émilie other magnificent Saturniidae moths and introduces her to the longest of them all: the Madagascar comet moth.

Émilie brings Bill a big white larva. It’s a cockchafer larva, an insect from the beetle family. Bill shows Émilie his cockchafer farm and introduces her to a whole host of beetles, each one more amazing than the last!

This week, Émilie is interested in dragonflies. Bill reveals to her the secret behind their spectacular flight. Then he shows Émilie a dragonfly larva, a surprising little creature that has a mask.

This week, Émilie is learning about wasps. Bill shows her the inside of a wasp nest and introduces her to different kinds of wasps. He also teaches us how to tell a bee from a wasp and what to do if you get stung.

Émilie discovers one of Canada's largest beetles, the diving beetle. This insect loves to dive underwater! Bill shows Émilie how to tell the male diving beetle from the female, and invites her to feed her new—and very voracious—companion!

Émilie discovers a giant American centipede. Do these creatures really have 1000 legs? Bill shows Émilie an even longer African relative. And also a venomous centipede that attacks its prey like some snakes do. Don’t touch it!

Émilie brings Bill a female cricket. You can tell it’s a female by its ovipositor, which she uses to lay her eggs in the ground. It looks like a stinger. Bill shows Émilie other insects that have ovipositors, including the strange giant ground beetle.

Émilie discovers a common stick insect. It looks like a living twig. This insect is a type of stick insect. They’re masters of camouflage! Bill shows Émilie some other stick insects, including one that looks like a tree leaf. Amazing!