Brad's Beat: The Bug Collector
By: Brad Douglas
Updated: July 16, 2012
SARCOXIE, MO.--- We buy sprays to kill them, we step on them, and even zap them with electricity. Of course, we are talking about bugs, and for one man they are his prized possessions. Tonight in our Brad's Beat we are spotlighting a bug collector. This man has 20,000 bugs in his collection.
For the past 40 years, Rae Letsinger has been a buzz with collecting bugs. His office has all different types of bugs. There is a long fancy name for what he does.
"I'm a Leperadopterous, it's kind of hard to pronounce. I actually the like to be called a bug collector cause I collect everything," states Letsinger.
Collecting bugs started when he was helping his niece with a school project. He doesn't have to go far to get his collectibles. He sets up a black light in the backyard and they come to him.
"That draws the insects in. They land on the sheet and I take a jar with some poison then collect them off the sheet."
Once he catches them, he has to dry them so they'll preserve.
"Once they have dried about 6 or 4 days, you put them in a drawer they'll stay that way. I'v had them for 40 years just as good as they were when I caught them."
His rarest find was a Spinx Moth he found in Barry County.
"It was identified as on of the rarest months in the U.S."
But he is not a fan of all bugs.
"Chiggers maybe the only one. Ticks, I can pick them off. Chiggers they make ya itch to much."
And he always cringes when one lands on his windshield while driving.
"Oh yeah, I always wonder what they are when they splat and hit my windshield that might be a good one. Not much I can do," states Letsinger.
For the past 40 years, Rae Letsinger has been a buzz with collecting bugs. His office has all different types of bugs. There is a long fancy name for what he does.
"I'm a Leperadopterous, it's kind of hard to pronounce. I actually the like to be called a bug collector cause I collect everything," states Letsinger.
Collecting bugs started when he was helping his niece with a school project. He doesn't have to go far to get his collectibles. He sets up a black light in the backyard and they come to him.
"That draws the insects in. They land on the sheet and I take a jar with some poison then collect them off the sheet."
Once he catches them, he has to dry them so they'll preserve.
"Once they have dried about 6 or 4 days, you put them in a drawer they'll stay that way. I'v had them for 40 years just as good as they were when I caught them."
His rarest find was a Spinx Moth he found in Barry County.
"It was identified as on of the rarest months in the U.S."
But he is not a fan of all bugs.
"Chiggers maybe the only one. Ticks, I can pick them off. Chiggers they make ya itch to much."
And he always cringes when one lands on his windshield while driving.
"Oh yeah, I always wonder what they are when they splat and hit my windshield that might be a good one. Not much I can do," states Letsinger.
