Invasion of the Bugs!
Columbia’s Agriculture Park is home to an array of bug friends!
Creep, crawl, hop, or fly around the park to find them all and learn about each bug!
Praying Mantis
Praying mantis get their name because they have very long front legs that they hold in a position that reminds people of praying.
Praying mantids are carnivores, eating mainly insects. Many gardeners and farmers welcome mantids, because the insects they eat are often pests that hurt crops! In addition to insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers, mantids eat spiders, frogs, lizards, and even small birds.
Praying mantids have long necks topped by a triangular head. They can turn their heads 180 degrees—an entire half circle! They're well-camouflaged, adapting colors that help them blend with plants. Some also have amazing body shapes that make them look like leaves or branches.
Bee
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and for producing honey! Honey bees are super-important pollinators for flowers, fruits, and vegetables. This means that they help other plants grow! Bees transfer pollen between the male and female parts, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit.
There are over 20,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. Bees are found in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated flowering plants these include marshes, wetlands, grasslands, gravel pits, sea walls, and even post-industrial land.
Lady Bugs
Ladybugs are considered good luck in many cultures! Most people like ladybugs because they are pretty, graceful, and harmless to humans, but farmers love them because they eat aphids and other plant-eating pests. One ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its lifetime!
There are thousands of different species of ladybugs in the world. These much loved critters are also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. They come in many different colors and patterns, but the most familiar in North America is the seven-spotted ladybug, with its shiny, red-and-black body.
Butterfly
Butterflies are winged insects often with brightly colored wings.The oldest butterfly fossils show butterflies were alive 56 million years ago!
Butterflies have a four-stage life cycle, and undergo complete metamorphosis. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their larvae, known as caterpillars, will feed. The caterpillars grow, sometimes very rapidly, and when fully developed, pupate in a chrysalis. When metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits, the adult insect climbs out, expands its wings to dry, and flies off!
Meet the artist!
These sculptures were made by artist Stephen R. Feilbach.
‘I was introduced to art as a kid by my uncle. My Dad had a sign shop in downtown Kansas City, that gave me lots of creative possibilities. Throughout school, I felt more comfortable in shop settings or where I could use my hands. I drew a lot and built an array of things. Dad introduced me to tools at an early age. I ran equipment like tractors and cranes and worked on construction projects and the farm. I also restored antiques and was introduced to stone carving, a life changing time for me.
After moving to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I have been using many different media and have a passion for creating a wide variety of large and small custom projects for clients. Whether it be for your home, trails, advertisement for your business, or something for you or a loved one, all you need to do is reach out to me.’
Thank you to our donors who sponsored these incredible sculptures at the Park!
Praying Mantis Sculpture sponsored by Restoration Chiropractic
Bee Sculpture sponsored by Phyllis Nichols-State Farm Insurance
Ladybug Sculptures sponsored by Heartland Homes Remodeling & Roofing and generously donated to the City of Columbia.
Butterfly Sculpture sponsored by Paul Land and Julaine Stiers and generously donated to the City of Columbia