I have 1 good news and 1 good news only: I’ve been trying to get Goliath beetles from larvalhood to adulthood for a couple of years now at work, and this past week saw a male and a female eclose from being a pupae in an earthen cocoon to an imago (beautiful baby adults).

I’m not in the habit of naming bugs often. I experience a lot of death on a daily basis, and naming them makes those goodbyes way, way harder. I think there’s a lot of value in naming on the public side from an empathy standpoint. Saying oh, that tarantula’s name is Xiomara, she likes to eat crickets invites people into a world where people care about bugs. But wow it can be hard on the keepers if not done strategically.

I’m super tempted to name this pair of beetles, though. I’ll meet them first. Then I’ll decide. What would you name a couple of beetles?

The rest of the week has been filled with a lot of shaky anxiety, residual from last week. I’m ready to feel like myself again.