Insect Fear Film Festival

Tomorrow, February 28, 2009, you too can enjoy the spine-tingling pleasure of bad movies combined with insects (or more accurately in this case, arthropods) at the 26th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival at the University of Illinois. The best thing about the festival is that it is free! Two feature films, two cartoons and a Mr. Wizard special on animals plus an insect petting zoo and an art show of insect art done by area school kids. What more could you ask for or get for so little!

The subject of this year's festival is centipedes. Now, if you'd like something a little creepier and/or more impressive, take a look at the fiercer (and larger) side of centipedes featured on the Damn Interesting web site, which includes images and links to videos of centipedes tackling bats and mice.

If you'd like some additional information about insects or arthropods, you may want to check out some of these web sites. The BugGuide is an online identification guide to both insects and arthopods of the U.S. and Canada that offers lots of pictures, description, food, range, classification information, habitat, risks posed by, and references. The eNature guides include identification guides for both bugs and spiders (rather sadly myriapoda or the multilegs like centipedes and millipedes appear to be left out, although butterflies those arthropoda scene-stealers have their own guide), as well as field guides for birds, mammals, shells, trees, amphibians, and wildflowers among others. The site also includes an archive of nature articles. Want some kid-related bug ideas? Check out the University of Kentucky's Dept. of Entymology's page of activities and ideas. And finally, here's one person's list of the top 10 bug movies of all time...