RICHARD BRADBURY: Hello, Were you there?

The First Bugfest 2010 was on Saturday 20th February. If you enjoy spending time with interesting arthropods and were not there, then you missed out.

Last time I drove and spent most of the day in a monster traffic jam stuck behind an accident on a dual carriageway. This time getting there was a doddle. As previously, it was held in Buckler's Mead Sports Centre, which is on the opposite side of Yeovil from Yeovil Junction railway station. (Bus every 15 minutes and change at the town centre bus station.) What surprised us was how accessible BUGFEST was, as it was only an hour and a half by train from Basingstoke and the fare with family railcard was less than the fuel cost of petrol in the car. (Next time we will remember to add the small exra cost of 'Plus-Bus' to our rail tickets and save even more
money because the bus travel is then free!)

Travelling home on the train was good too, talking about the day over the picnic, including choc chip muffins with gooey chocolate filling. Outside was a beautiful sunset with clouds and countryside lit up in pink and orange. Then David curled up and went to sleep.

If you are wondering what this has got to do with stick insects, then when you read about the summer Bugfest, grab your diary and book yourself a properly enjoyable day out. You might be able to use some of the above information; remember the picnic and flask of tea!

What was BUGFEST like? We were delayed setting off so it was underway when we arrived. Stepping through the doorway, the first impression was like walking through a wall of sound of a happy hubbub from lots of voices. It was the sound of a lot of people enjoying themselves. It was brilliant; there were children everywhere! The first smaller hall was full of children doing craft activities and a refreshments area.

Then we went through into the main hall, past the climbing wall. It was thronged with families and stalls. There were stalls all round the walls and a big oval island of stalls in the middle. There were four stalls with Phasmid Study Group members, but unfortunately there were not enough PSG members able to volunteer to man a separate PSG display stall. There was every sort of pet arthropod you could keep in culture and some beautiful phasmids David and I had never seen before. Spread round the hall was an 'Ideal Home For Arthropods' display of everything you could need for your pets.

We had a Traders Table at the far end of the hall between a stall of spiders and stall with a big docile Boa Constrictor that liked to be held. When David held the snake it was neck-to-knee length both sides! We had travelled with a large cardboard box strapped to a sack-trolley. David had brought some animals he had raised that needed new homes. A few were from non-PSG stock for sale and a lot were PSG stock for display and passing on free to PSG members. We also had some useful things for sale. Pride of place was 'Lucky the Ramulus' in her travel case with a companion Ramulus from culture. Side by side, the wild born Lucky the Ramulus looked only three quarters the size of her cultured companion.

For those who have not met Lucky the Ramulus, Ramulus sp.(?artemis?), when she came to the January PSG meeting at the NHM, then here is her known biography. After several weeks of cold and snowfall, in January 2010 she was found by David on his way home from school. She was apparently overcome by cold when she got stuck on trampled snow while crossing a snow covered footpath between two hedgerows in Reading, Berkshire. The snow had turned the hedgerows into snow-tunnels like linear igloos. The condition of the bramble leaves in the smaller hedgerow was poor and dry but the leaves protected in the larger hedgerow were still succulent and may have been the reason for her being found in the open.

Within minutes of setting up a grown-up had come over to look at the animals and after several minutes of conversation had then purchased two boxes of Parapachymopha spinosa. (I would particularly thank adults who give this sort of material encouragement to youngsters.)

David is good at handling stick insects and is easily approachable. So he was soon engaged in conversation with lots of children and their parents meeting and handling various stick insects. Those who wished to join the PSG we pointed towards Mark and Sarah's stall and I understand they arranged that once the families have joined then they contact Mark and Sarah who will supply them with stick insects and advice.

At the end of the day the only stick insects David had left to pack was the travel case containing Lucky the Ramulus, her companion animal and the three nymphs (who had entertained lots of small children trying to count how many animals were hidden in the case.)

David just told me he would not have wanted to miss the show.


Regards to all,
From Richard and David Bradbury