Diario de sambiology

I really love bugs. There is such tremendous diversity among insects and invertebrates, it's almost impossible to get bored studying and observing them!

One of the most valuable tools that I use to study bugs is the petri dish. I'm not good at taking photos, I don't have a great camera for macrophotography, but with a petri dish, I can contain a bug long enough to get shots of lots of different angles.

Another great thing about having petri dishes with you, especially if you're leading/on a public nature walk, is that you can share the experience of holding the bug without scaring those that may not want to touch the bug. I've been on a lot of walks (leading and just participating), where I'll find a bee or a wasp, grab it in a petri dish, and then even the most fearful person can hold it and examine it closely. And, after it's examined by everyone, you can return the organism without a tremendous amount of trauma/injury.

Great to have some petri dishes handy whenever you're outside! :)

I get my petri dishes here:
https://www.acornnaturalists.com/petri-dishes-90-mm-sleeve-of-10.html
They're relatively inexpensive, but they're also plastic, so they don't always last too long... They scratch and crack, and when I have one in my back pocket, I'll almost always sit on it! Nonetheless, they're super useful.

Have you tried using petri dishes???