Faith Riedell – Entomology Intern

Hello, my name is Faith Riedell. I am the Entomology Intern which means I study insects. I work in the Butterfly Wing and in the emergence lab. I enjoy my position here at Reiman Gardens especially when I get to learn new things about insects. Insects can do some amazing things, and I get to experience some of them firsthand. In this past week of working here I got to experience my first ever Atlas moth. It happens to be one of the largest moths in the world, which makes it quite a sight to see. It also has some quirky features like the absence of a mouth. This moth is made to do one thing, which is to repopulate so it has no mouthparts and does not consume anything in its adult form. Furthermore it only lives a couple of days because it does not eat, and therefore makes it even more of a wonder to see in the Butterfly Wing. This moth is from Asia and gets shipped in when it is a larva, during its transformation phase. I have also learned a lot about the other butterflies around the Butterfly Wing and their origins. It is fun to know that the butterflies flown in the Butterfly Wing really come from all over the world as well as ones you can see in your own backyard. Overall, my job is amazing, and I hope I just keep learning this summer.

Faith Riedell – Entomology Intern