The Amateur Entomologist’s Society hold a yearly exhibition and trade fair at Kempton Park, Surrey. This year was my first show so I dragged my friend Ben along for the ride. The expo itself was much larger than I expected. Various breeders sold pets, collectors sold specimens, there were books, food plants, jewelry, accessories and educational stands for the likes of Butterfly Conservation, The British Tarantular Society and more. The beautiful ornate specimen cabinets have made me want to start collecting moths but there’s no way I could fit one in my house.
Bugfest 7 was pretty awesome, still can’t believe cockroaches can be described as ‘cute’ though! – Ben
I went with the intention of picking up a few more species of land snail, but there weren’t many on offer – just Giant East African Snails (Achatina fulica) which I already have plenty of and couple of Giant West African Snails (Archachatina marginata), which are too big for my current tank. Luckily there was no shortage of other creatures to tempt me. I was especially interested in the Vinegaroons (Thelyphonida), they’re fancinating arachnids, although I’m certain Chris would have killed me if I brought one home.
In the end I went with a pair of female Leaf Insects nymphs (phyllium giganteum) as I’ve really missed keeping Stick Insects and though they wold make a welcome addition to my collection. Also, since all of their food grows naturally in front of my house, they’re very easy to care for. I also met up with Catherine and her sister who had bought some gorgeous Tiger Hissing Cockroaches and a few varieties of Millipede.
For now I’ll leave you with a short video of the show and a picture of me and one of my new friends.
