Call him bug detective, science specialist, museum curator or just plain entomologist. If anyone could think like a spider, it would probably be NMSU's David Richman. After all, a person would almost need eight arms-or maybe legs-to keep up with the number of outreach programs Richman takes part in.

David "Spider-man" Richman

Each year, Richman, a science specialist with NMSU's Agricultural Experiment Station, and other New Mexico entomologists visit schools to teach more than 2,000 kids about the amazing lives of bugs. "Children are always interested in odd things that insects do," he says. "They're interested in anything venomous that might sting or bite them and details of insects' lives that they didn't know about." When children learn that all stinging ants, bees and wasps are females, it blows their minds. Wherever he goes, they ask "Is a Jerusalem cricket deadly?" People also want to know about Africanized honey bees. "I try to explain at various schools what to do if attacked by bees and how not to be attacked by bees. For example, I tell kids not to throw rocks at hives," he says. Richman draws most of his show-and-tell material from the Arthropod Museum of NMSU's entomology, plant pathology and weed science department.

A case of odd-shaped mounds

Bugging out: Jamie Schwebach, sophomore, sorts through insects in NMSU's Arthropod Museum,which also houses show-and-tell displays like butterflies.

In the mid-1980s when suspicious-looking mounds were found near Steins in Hildalgo County, ant specimens were gathered and shipped to the Arthropod Museum. It didn't take the bug detective long to figure out what kind of ant had invaded the state.

"I did the initial identification based on specimens we have in the museum and was able to match them to the red imported fire ant," says Richman, museum curator. "We then sent the samples to the Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, where they were confirmed."

Far from being a dusty, old accumulation of dried bugs, the Arthropod Museum is a reliable source for identifying pests and beneficial insects.

More than 50,000 pinned and alcohol-preserved specimens are housed in NMSU's Gerald Thomas Hall in 370 drawers and several thousand vials. An assortment of "beautiful butterflies" and "weird bugs" are preserved, along with tiger beetles, snakeweed insects, velvet ants and asilid flies.

The museum provides diagnostic services for New Mexico and the Southwest, a biodiversity database and archive, backup data for remote sensing studies and records of specimens for research studies at NMSU.

"Our main thrusts are research, documentation and Cooperative Extension Service and regulatory activities," Richman says. "We also maintain a collection of tropical and fancier New Mexican and Southwestern insects. Large and showy ones are used in outreach programs."

The larger section of the museum consists of scientific specimens that serve as a library of data. A lot of people don't realize the importance of this library collection, Richman says. Each specimen is labeled and can be traced to a certain locality. Some can even be matched to host plants.

Not long ago, detailed museum records and specimens helped Richman identify the first Japanese beetle in the state. He also was able to give U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service researchers their first look at the Anthony blister beetle, which is a candidate for the endangered species list.

No lions, tigers or bears at this zoo

Each September, more than 12,000 people line up for the zoo in Albuquerque. But they don't go to see the usual attractions. They go to see fascinating arthropods or perhaps to pet a hissing cockroach.

Roaches alive!: Andrine Morrison, graduate student, talks to school kids about hissing cockroaches as they crawl up and down her shirt.

The Insect Zoo at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds features a few exciting specimens from across the country and some of New Mexico's most impressive insects and arthropods.

When Charles Ward, former entomologist with NMSU's Cooperrative Extension Service, started setting up the zoo in the 4-H pavilion six years ago, he had no idea how popular it would become.

"Charlie became ill, so he couldn't set up the zoo anymore. It was a labor-intensive job, and all the insects were laid out on tables," Richman says. "We had to skip a year, but people kept asking about it."

Because of the big demand, a committee was formed to keep the zoo going. In 1997, a new zoo was designed by James Ross, NMSU entomology specialist, and built by Carlos Rosencrans, NMSU assistant professor of agricultural and extension education. It can be locked and left on display or used with presentations.

"We've been trying to show some exotic things ordered from a pet supply house, but mostly we've been sticking with New Mexico insects, spiders, millipedes and centipedes," Richman says. "We have some very interesting insects in the state."

Spectacular creosote and mesquite walking sticks are some of the attention-getters. Large darkling beetles or stink bugs, noted for standing on their heads when people get close to them, are amazing to watch.

"Darkling beetles produce a defensive chemical," Richman says. "If you handle them, your hands smell very bad. For beetles, they live a very long time-at least three years."

Hopping good time: A young athlete tests her hopping skills during the Insect Expo at theNew Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Deciding what goes into the zoo depends on visibility and life span. "For one thing, you want to try to pick insects that will survive during the fair, and you also want something that people can see," Richman says. "We stick with creatures that are mostly above a half-inch long."

In the past, the zoo has exhibited various millipedes, scorpions, caterpillars and blister beetles. Spiders like tarantulas, black widows and brown recluses are some of the favorites.

"This actually started as a petting zoo," Richman says. "Some insects have survived well, but we haven't had much luck with others. Certain arthropods like giant millipedes don't take it very well. They die of over-touching. But the hissing cockroaches do quite nicely as long as they're not manhandled. Also, the local millipede, which gets up to about 6 inches in length, makes a good specimen."

Last year, the aquatic section, designed by graduate student Katy Elson, was one of the popular attractions. It contained specimens such as water scorpions, diving beetles, water scavenger beetles and giant water bugs.

The Insect Zoo can dazzle the old as well as the young, but Richman wants it to show even more. "Maybe in the future, we'll be able to magnify tiny creatures so people can see the beauty and intricacy of some of these small insects and arthropods."

Buzzing like bees at the Insect Expo

Entomologist Mike English displays dazzling "Oh My" insects for kids to identify.

Elementary students in Las Cruces had a close encounter with bugs this year. They were hopping like grasshoppers, pretending to be cockroaches and spreading their imaginary wings like butterflies at the Insect Expo at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Outside, children were busy competing in the Insect Olympics and Hi Bug contest. Inside, youngsters prepared for roach races and got a chance to Be a Bug by experiencing what it's like to look through the compound eyes of insects.

As president of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America, Carol Sutherland wanted the branch's first event of this kind to be fun as well as educational.

"The expo gave children an opportunity to see some interesting, live insects and arthropods," she says. "The multiple displays allowed them to see a variety of insects that are very large, pretty and unusually marked."

Children enjoyed learning what bees do and what happens inside their hives. A honey-tasting contest was a sweet temptation for kids to test their skills at identifying different sources of honey. Art activities such as coloring insects and making butterfly hats gave students a few tangible items to remember their day with bugs.

A World Wide Web of bugs

Children who want to refresh their memories or expand their knowledge about insects can always go online. More than 100 of New Mexico's most common insects are listed from "A" to "Y" in the Digital Desert Library on the World Wide Web.

"Students and teachers have access to a large database of plants, animals, terrain and insects of the Chihuahuan Desert," says Jeanne Gleason, professor with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service.

The project was funded by the National Science Foundation. Partners for the project included the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, NMSU's College of Agriculture and Home Economics and College of Education, and several New Mexico schools that serve multicultural students.

Web surfers can choose "Just for Kids" and go on a "Web Quest" to learn about plants used for medicines or food. They also will find a student chat room, science sites to explore and creative activities, Gleason says.

The digital library provides an interactive area for writing, drawing and contributing to the gallery of student creations. "Just for Teachers" offers a variety of activities with resources and support materials for the classroom.

Richman helped pull together information and photos about insects that can be found in New Mexico. A search for the Apache violin spider gives a description, the life cycle, natural enemies, what the spider eats and where it's likely to be found. The names of some insects also are listed in Spanish and Navajo.

"You'll find out that the Apache violin spider is a member of the brown recluse group and a native of the Chihuahuan Desert," Richman says. "It's called a violin spider because of the violin-like marking on the head and thorax. Other interesting facts about the spider include information about its tissue-destroying venom."

The web site has a host of fun activities and interesting facts about hundreds of plants, animals, insects and more.

But kids who have not had a chance to participate in any of the outreach programs about bugs may still have one question on their minds: "Is a Jerusalem cricket deadly?" The answer can be found in the Digital Desert Library at http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/.

Insect Information: Kids and adults can visit the Digital Desert Library on the World Wide Web to learn more about insects and other critters that live in the desert.