Bugging Out

Bayou Gauche man catches thousands of creepy crawlers for Insectarium

When residents visit the Audubon Insectarium’s Louisiana swamp exhibit, they probably don’t know that many of the creepy crawlers that are on display come from right here in St. Charles Parish.

And most of them are caught by one man, self-proclaimed collector and Bayou Gauche resident Gordon Matherne.

For Matherne, it all began with a rare pink katydid that he caught 58 years ago when he was a toddler. From that point on, he began collecting anything he could get his hands on, such as sea shells, Indian pottery shards and old bottles.
But for the 60-year-old Gordon, insects have remained his true passion.

“In high school and college they would make us collect bug specimens,” Matherne said. “Everyone always thought it was a big chore to collect 100 insects, but I would be done with my project in a couple of days.

“Over time, I’ve just gotten more interested in them.”

The wall in Matherne’s once roomy study is now littered with framed boxes displaying the impressive insects he has captured throughout his life. Below each insect is a small label showing where and when the catch was made. It’s the only place in the parish where a black witch moth taken from Philadelphia in 1976 shares space with a local Hercules beetle from 2009.

“Ninety percent of the bugs I have collected come from right here in St. Charles Parish, but there are other insects in my collection from my travels around the country and Costa Rica,” Matherne said. “No matter where I am, I’m always keeping an eye out for something interesting.”

That sharp eye is what eventually led to Matherne’s association with the Insectarium, and as an illustration of the cyclical nature of life, the insect that once again caught his eye was a pink katydid.

“I found another pink katydid in 2008 and got in touch with the Audubon Nature Institute to tell them what I had found,” Matherne said. “From that point on, I began sending them insects.”

So far, Matherne has transported over a thousand bugs to the museum. Most of those are insects that thrive in the parish’s unique habitat, like beetles, water scorpions and giant water bugs.

“They really like the beetles because people can hold them without getting hurt,” Matherne said. “Some of the other bugs, such as giant water bugs, are not as safe because some have pinchers and some can sting.

“But they mostly want aquatic insects since we live near marsh and swamps.”

And while the Insectarium enjoys receiving those insects, Matherne loves the chase.

Matherne, who always travels with his trusty mesh net, checks a street light near his house before he makes the final determination on whether a hunting trip is worthwhile. If there are bugs surrounding the light, he knows it’s going to be a good night.

“I hardly go bug hunting with a particular insect in mind,” he said. “I’m always trying to find something different, such as showier or brighter bugs.

“I’m not going around trying to find different species of flies or ants.”

Matherne mostly catches beetles, moths and butterflies, but also has a wide-variety of grasshoppers and spiders – some of which are so big there scary.

“On WPA Road you can find thousands of golden silk spiders,” Matherne said, pointing to the large arachnid pinned on his wall. “I’ve also found quite a few black widows, but they stay away from grass areas, so you have to be looking for one to find one.”

Matherne doesn’t always have to travel far to find insects. He has planted several flowers and plants in his yard to attract them and has even raised caterpillars into butterflies by using a Xerox box as an incubation chamber.

But just like people are affected by storms, so is the insect population. Matherne has found it a little harder to find good specimens after the recent surge of hurricanes.

“The insect population has really been hurt by our storms,” he said. “Floods kill a lot of larvae and it takes the population a few years to recover.”

That just means Matherne has to work a little harder, which is fine with him.

“I’m retired, so I can go bug hunting until 12:30 a.m. and sleep as late as I want the next day,” he said. “This is a great hobby and it gives me something to do. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”