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Her statement at Bug Nights was dramatic and unequivocal.

“I’ve got a fist full of insects and they are burning a hole in my pocket.”

The White Coats glanced up from their quality control checks and exchanged looks across the laboratory. The she-volunteer’s statement hung in the air. Everyone tried to look busy but wondered what she meant. Did she have too many bugs in the three randomly chosen squares on her tray? Did she overload her petri dish? Was it some kind of show about her prodigious work? Or, was she packing in her own specimens from home to make a splash at Bug Night?

All that could be heard was the cricket-like clicking of forceps, hand counters, and dissecting needles.

“I never thought of bugs as currency,” ventured a quiet voice.

“Nor had I,” offered another voice, “If they were, we would all be rich.”

In true Bug Night tradition, a lively discussion ensued among the diverse volunteers. Over the clicking, the White Coats picked out snippets of the conversation from the companionable murmurings.

“… would buy an electron microscope so that I could see water bears.”
“Tardigrades are cool… Are they for sale?”
“How can there really be anal prolegs?”
“… would buy my own laboratory and have Bug Nights all year long.”
“Think of the candy we could buy with bug currency…”

“What do I do with all these bugs?” asked the dramatic volunteer.

“Subsample them,” came a harmonious, multi-voice reply as if on cue.

In a sheepish and undramatic manner, she emptied the fistful of insects back into her petri dish and resumed sorting.

We are in the heat of bulk processing and have bugs to burn. See a bug—sort a bug. We want to get to the identification part as as soon as inhumanly possible so the only question right now should be: “Is this a bug or something else?”

You are all something else, indeed. Thank you for your productive work last week. Let’s see how many trays we can clear tomorrow, Wednesday, February 21 beginning at 6:00 PM sharp.

When you arrive, click on the door or windows so that one of your new or returning friends can admit you. Everyone is welcomed.