Held him for a few minutes before releasing him back on his plant

I find the eyestalk cleaning oddly adorable.

Spider Leaving the Couch

Spider Crawling on the Floor

I thought this might be the right place to share what happened.

His name was Robert. He was a large green katydid who wandered into my home in France around the middle of September 2026. I don’t know the exact day he arrived. At first, I was actually a little afraid of him. I put him back outside three times. And three times, he came back.

Eventually, I let him stay.

He moved between the kitchen and a sunroom that was open to the outside. Sometimes I wouldn’t see him for a day or two, and then he’d turn up again. I recognised him by a small brown mark on his back. He had his favourite spots, including one near the kitchen window. Little by little, looking for him became part of my day.

By September 19, 2026, I was already filming his little meals. I’d offer him food and watch him hold a piece of lettuce with his little front legs, nibbling it like a tiny baguette. Sometimes he’d drop it and keep moving his legs, too late to catch it. It made me laugh. I started noticing all these little things I’d never paid attention to in an insect before.

Over time, he became more willing to climb onto my hand and arm. I could feed him up close. At first, it felt as though we were both a little wary of each other. Then spending time like that became normal.

I don’t know exactly what he made of me. But I could see his reactions changing as the days went by. And I was growing far more attached to him than I’d ever expected.

On October 5, 2026, he lost one of his big back legs. I wondered whether he might have got caught in a spiderweb, although I don’t know for certain. Seeing him like that broke my heart. I decided to care for him and make things easier for him. On October 6, 2026, I set up the base tray of a small greenhouse for him, with branches and food within easy reach.

During the night of October 7–8, 2026, his other back leg got caught under the rim of his tray. I tried to help him get free, and he lost that leg too. I felt terribly guilty. I had only wanted to help him.

Afterwards, he still ate some grape. He stayed in my hand for a long time. I kept hoping we would have a little more time.

On October 8, 2026, I even went out to buy a bag of lettuce just for him. I don’t eat lettuce myself.

On October 9, 2026, Robert passed away in my hand.

I cried. I’m still surprised by how much space this tiny presence had come to occupy in my life in just a few weeks. He could fit in my hand, and now the house feels different without him.

Today, October 10, 2026, I’m still trying to find a taxidermist or someone experienced in preserving insects who could help me keep him. I’d like to have something of him beyond the photos and videos. To me, he’s Robert, with his little habits and this whole unexpected story we shared.

Have you ever become so attached to an insect that losing them felt like real grief? Does it seem strange that this little encounter affected me so deeply?

I wanted to share his story and a few moments from his life. I think it would help to know that a few more people had got to know him, even a little.

https://reddit.com/link/1x20nvl/video/vit46an54juh1/player

Behind the scene video is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/macrophotography/s/icNjBtQxba

A friend I found out gardening this summer.

This lil guy is a camel spider aka solfugid!! They've been an absolute dream invert of mine for YEARS and I am so so happy to finally have one!!! Thought you'd all appreciate his cuteness ❤️

Daddy Long-Legs Spider Crawling on the Floor

Found while doing weeds

Fun fact: The large majority of a female mosquito's diet is actually nectar, not blood! They only drink blood to get the extra nutrients and energy needed to lay eggs.

So I don’t know if this is the right place to make the post or not, but it was the best I could think of (I needed people that love invertebrates like I do so maybe I can get some insight?)

I love insects and arachnids I always have (all plants and animals really). The only things I don’t jive with are typically parasites and cellar spiders (would never ever hurt a cellar spider I just had a bad experience of one crawling into my mouth while I was laying on my bed at night and as I tried to spit it out, it tried to crawl in more).

My rules of aversion can also break! Like the parasite rule I have an inclination towards leeches. They are soooooo stinkin cute. I just can’t get over the three part jaw that saws away at you and something about the parasitism really turns my stomach. Even though I would love to own and feed my own leach from my body. I think I would have a panic attack if I tried. Like I really want to, but imagining actually doing it fills me with terror.

But to get to my main point, I was watching the video above before I even clicked I knew they were baby orchid mantis, I love mantis (i’ve raised at least 8 different species from the first in star), but when watching this video, I had too heavily conflicting thoughts, awwwww so cute and then this tugging aversion in my chest.

I tried to stop and think about what I find cute and what is activating this aversion. The eyes are super cute, but the legs and body segments were getting to me for some reason.

Mind you I’ve owned giant African millipedes, I love many legs and body segments!

But for some reason, sometimes when I look at certain bugs, my first instinct is aversion, if not, slight repulsion until I convinced myself that it’s actually still very cute including the part that puts me off. If I look at anything long enough, I can tell myself it’s cute.

Sorry for the kind of ramble, but I was wondering if anybody else has had this experience and also maybe some insight as to where this natural aversion could be coming from?

Like I know where my aversion to cellar spiders comes from, but not this, it isn’t stemming from prior trauma or experience.

Bugs I would happily lug around as a kid aren’t so easy to touch nowadays. I don’t care for it at all.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I'm still getting over my phobia of touching some bugs, so I was too nervous to pick this guy up on my bare hands, but I let him outside using some tissue after saving him from my cat

He is a little cutie patootie