::: spiny leaf insect
Recently we posted about a gorgeous praying mantis the children found in the garden and our blogging friend Juliet from the terrific blog I’m a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here! left us this comment … “Wow! You do have exciting creatures in Australia. Makes our slugs look quite dull!” Well Juliet … you are absolutely right!
female spiny leaf insect
Just look at this magnificent specimen of a spiny leaf insect the children at Syndal Preschool have!
male spiny leaf insect
She is a female, hence the different looking body shape to this male.
They have had it since last year when it came to them as a tiny baby.
Even though the children must be used to it being there, it still appears to be endlessly fascinating to them.
Magnifying glasses …
and reference books were available for the children …
as were drawing materials.
Someone had found a dear little praying mantis who was in there keeping company with its bigger companion …
and evidently someone popped in a slater, just found that morning in the kinder yard. Quite a menagerie happening here!
Such an amazing opportunity for learning!
Tags: praying mantis, spiny leaf insect
These bugs are brilliant. I know you have to deal with very poisonous and dangerous creatures but the pay-back is an amazing array of other animals too.
Oh well, there’s around 90 different varieties of slug in the UK. I’ll keeping slug hunting til I get to visit Australia!
::: We have over 50 species of leaf and stick insects in Australia Juliet which we’ll keep but we are prepared to trade your 90 different species of slugs for our 140 different types of land snakes if you like?!
My children would be fascinated with this and would enjoy using all of the resources provided (magnifying glasses, drawing materials etc) to observe and learn more about this. What a fabulous opportunity for the students.
::: Elise we’ve noticed on our travels to other centres that many of them have some kind of creature in the room … sometimes just goldfish but it’s still really nice.
Our class had a Spiny Leaf Insect last year, her name was Peaches. They are a fascinating animal, easy to care for and can be handled by the children. She sadly passed away at the beginning of this year but now her eggs are starting to hatch – the learning experience continues!
::: Oh wow! How lovely to think you have all those baby Spiny Leaf insects to look forward to now Catherine. Certainly the children at Syndal are very attached to their ‘pet’ too:)
oh my gosh – I’m bug-jealous!!!!
Amazing.
::: She’s pretty cool hey Noah! … It’s nice to see you here.
I love that you are teaching children to love Australia’s wonderful creatures. I can still remember the first time my father showed me a giant Pink-winged Phasma (Podacanthus typhon) in our back garden. I was in awe that an insect could be so large and couldn’t wait to try and draw it before it flew away. I so wish digital cameras were around back then, to have captured the moment. The experience served to strengthen my love for creepy crawlies and was a great bonding experience with my father.
Can other readers remember times when they were first introduced to an amazing insect? And do they share discoveries with their own children now?
::: Kaz, aren’t we SO LUCKY here in Australia to have such amazing bugs and insects? We agree there is something truly magical in the discovery of such wonderful creatures! … And your Pink-winged Phasma looks very exotic indeed. http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Pink-winged-Phasma/Podacanthus/typhon.html Now that is a creature we would LOVE to find!
