Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
Ms. Ngoi brought some insects to a classroom for the interns to meet. At the moment, all insects at the San Diego Zoo are in the process of moving into the renovated Children’s Zoo, coming soon!
Just because many of the San Diego Zoo’s insects are off exhibit due to construction, doesn’t mean the Entomology department is taking any breaks. Susi Ngoi is the Lead Entomology Keeper, meaning she gets the special privilege of caring for all the arthropods in the Zoo. Arthropods include insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans. At the moment, only the insects in Elephant Odyssey and the coconut crab on Tiger Trail are on exhibit, due to the Children’s Zoo being renovated. All others are in a special temporary facility, built to keep exotic insects contained, as any escapees could damage the local ecosystem. Each day, Ms. Ngoi checks in on all the insects in her care. She checks their health, their feeding schedule, and the state of their enclosure. Then she prepares the food for the diverse palette of diets in the entomology collection. Some arthropods are herbivores, some are fructivores, some even eat other insects. However, a majority of her time is spent communicating with other departments. For example, when Kenny the coconut crab was trying to dismantle the door of his enclosure so he could go for a walk, she had to call the maintenance department to undo his work.
These stick-like insects are called Australian Walking Sticks. The thinner, brown male walking stick is the mate guarding the female.
Working in the Entomology department takes good reflexes, organization, basic gardening skills, being observant, and being comfortable with insects, says Ms. Ngoi. These skills are important when working with insects because some are small, fast, can fly, bite, and are venomous. Having basic gardening skills comes in handy especially when creating the terrarium enclosures for insects. For those wanting to pursue a similar career path to hers, Ms. Ngoi suggests considering a broader field of study such as biology or zoology, because this opens up many options to explore. Having an interest in bugs may not be desirable to most, but Ms. Ngoi’s advice is to follow your passion no matter the case and to not give up on other interests. The most crucial and simple step anyone can take is to explore your passions and gain as much experience as possible through internships and volunteer work.
This is Ms. Ngoi. Having been intrigued by bugs all of her life. She loves her job because of the insects and arachnids that come with it.
Ms. Ngoi attended San Francisco State University (SFSU) and earned a degree in zoology with an emphasis on herpetology and entomology. Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians, while entomology is the study of insects. Ms. Ngoi has always loved animals, especially insects. Growing up in a rural area, she had the opportunity to gain knowledge about native species, spending much of her time learning from her grandfather who was a beekeeper. While attending college, Ms. Ngoi spent her time exploring different zoology and biology career paths through a variety of internships. While living in San Francisco, she loved spending her time volunteering at veterinary clinics, and with organizations such as Pets are Wonderful Support (PAWS). PAWS provides services for senior citizens who need help caring for their pets. Ms. Ngoi also gained helpful customer service and communication skills by working at Madewell (retail store) during her years at SFSU. These skills help her connect with Zoo visitors, introducing them to the different species she works with, and all their amazing adaptations. Before working at the San Diego Zoo, Ms. Ngoi worked at the San Francisco Zoo. Soon she will be celebrating her second year here as the Lead Entomology Keeper!
This is an Eastern Lubber who came to the Zoo from Florida. Their color and size make them a very distinctive grasshopper.
Ms. Ngoi works with a variety of species, but they oftentimes face common obstacles. Many insects that are not targeted pests, can still be harmed by herbicides and pesticides. These products also hurt amphibians and pollinators by toxifying their habitat. Pollution can cause algal blooms, meaning the sudden growth of algae. Algal blooms take the resources––like oxygen––from other creatures in their area. One way to prevent algal blooms is to dispose of fertilizer and other gardening products responsibly since they are some of the main causes. Another way we can help our critter friends is by redefining stereotypes. Ms. Ngoi says one mistake we make is teaching children to fear insects. However, insects have an important purpose in the ecosystem. Without them, many of our plants would not be pollinated and we would have less variety and fewer foods. Many California residents traveled to admire the native flower super-blooms, but without our pollinating friends, that beauty would not have been possible! While insects may not always appear conventionally cute, they are some of humanity’s biggest helpers and there should be more of an effort to conserve them.
The ironclad beetle (A.K.A. the blue death feigning beetle) is unique because of the ridges on it’s back which protect it from predators. They are known to play dead in stressful situations, hence the nickname.
Ms. Ngoi holds a soft spot for a specific native insect: the desert ironclad beetle, also known by its nickname the death feigning beetle. It is native to Southwestern United States areas such as the Mojave Desert, Arizona, and Texas. These little beetles have a powdery blue coloration and can grow to be approximately 18–21 mm. Feeding on plant and animal debris, death feigning beetles are known for their hardiness and longevity, living to be 10 years old! This beetle is also low maintenance, requiring little food and little to no additional heat or humidity, making them very popular in the pet trade. These critters are unable to jump or fly, so an adaptation they rely on is their ability to play dead when they feel they are being threatened. This, in combination with them appearing to be clumsy and cute, has earned the desert ironclad beetle a spot in the heart of Ms. Ngoi and many others who have had the privilege of seeing these insects in the wild or on exhibit at the Zoo.
This is an Eastern Lubber who came to the Zoo from Florida. Their color and size make them a very distinctive grasshopper.
Ms. Ngoi enjoys doing conservation projects, one being the Quino checkerspot butterfly project. These butterflies are native to southern California, but none were left in San Diego County. Due to this, the Entomology department began a conservation project to bring them back that would become one of Ms. Ngoi’s favorites. It is rewarding to her to be able to see the species grow in the wild. One of her best memories from the job has been releasing the quino checkerspot caterpillars back into San Diego County, knowing that they would someday morph into butterflies and begin to bring the population back. In general, Ms. Ngoi loves to work at the Children’s Zoo and do animal presentations. She hopes to spread awareness about the importance of the conservation of insects and arachnids to younger generations.
Working with bugs is not exactly exciting to many, but to Ms. Ngoi it is a dream come true. Arthropods make up 80% of all the species on earth, so to say they are essential is an understatement. Understanding what arthropods are capable of, whether it is fascinating or dangerous, is crucial to every ecosystem. Ms. Ngoi, along with others with “obscure” passions like these are why we still have these amazing pollinators, predators, gardeners, and decomposers.
As our day came to a close, we learned an interesting fact just in time for the spooky season: tarantulas are a native species in San Diego…
Week Three
Fall Session 2019
