Final Thoughts

My thoughts on insects have not changed too terribly much. I still find them a little terrifying; if one were to land on my shirt or crawl on my skin I would flip out, though there are some exceptions to that statement, such as the butterfly or firefly. I still find cockroaches REPULSING and will probably still kill them with insecticides and/or squishing them due to the fact that there is very little short of a nuclear bomb that can take them out. 

Moth collection we pinned in class

I will say, however, that I now see their usefulness more now than I did before. I feel that they are useful in our food web; what we eat eats them, so how can I hate something that ultimately feeds me. They pollinate the plants for us, which we desperately need to survive. Some also eat other insects that are considered pests to us humans, which is a use that I thank them for.

Overlook at Ruffner Mountain

I also know WAY more about insects now. I have a lot of useful information that I can keep with me as I grow older and encounter more bugs. I know that not all 'flies' are actual flies and have a cool trick on differentiating between the two. I also now know that butterflies and moths are in fact insects, which I was not sure of before. So basically I have a new favorite insect, though fireflies still come in a close second place. 

I greatly enjoyed the trips we took outside of the classroom. They were enjoyable and a change from being in a classroom constantly was very nice. It is also something that was initially out of my comfort zone, but I have found that if the hike is not too steep, the view is absolutely worth it.

Overall I would say my tolerance for insects has increased. I had little to none before and now, though I do not have a whole bunch, I have more than I did. If someone asked me if they should take this class, I will tell them yes, and I have honestly enjoyed the Jan term class more than any other class I have taken.