On a whim, I bought K a "bug kit" and the dollar store a few days ago.  The kit consisted of a clear plastic tub with a vented lid for observing the bugs and a small net for catching them.  I didn't honestly anticipate that she'd catch anything, but figured she might have some luck with fireflies.  I should have known better. . .

Yesterday, both girls were outside with the bug kit when I heard, "Mom!  You've got to come and see this bug!  It's huge!"  Hearing the words "huge" and "bug" in the same sentence never gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, but in the name of science and providing learning opportunities for all of you Lancaster County moms and kids, I went to investigate. 

They were right.  It was a very huge bug.  White with black spots, with an orange body underneath.  Something about it didn't look right.  With my husband laughing at me, I caught the bug in the box on my second attempt.  After making sure that lid was on darn tight, we had a closer look. 

We had caught a moth, specifically a Giant Leopard Moth--that's the picture that's attached to this entry.  It had likely just hatched from its cocoon, because it could only crawl around and the wings still looked somewhat slimy.  The body was quite large--probably an inch and a half in length.  Turns out these critters live in in the Eastern US, from Massachusetts down to Florida.  We studied it briefly and then returned it to the same place in the yard where we found it.  I looked up the bug online at www.bugguide.net to find out what kind of moth we'd discovered.  They have a clickable guide that you can search, which makes it easy.  There are many photos of bugs that people from all over submit to the site (who knew--bugwatching?)  If your kid is into bugs, the bug kit (or even just an empty butter tub with holes in the lid) and the Internet are a great place to start learning more. 

Even I have to admit, the moth was quite pretty to look at, but I was still quite happy to let it go back to living in my neighborhood.  My husband tells me that in the Philippines there are beetles as big as your hand.  Ewww.  I'll stick to Pennsylvania bugs.