MANNFORD — Mannford Lower Elementary (MLE) students will be having a week full of creepy, crawly fun during the annual Ugliest Bug Contest.
“The main goal is to get kids outside and excited about nature and to observe and see the world around them from a new point of view as a bug detective,” said MLE Teacher Emmy Gooch.
The competition is currently underway — running for only one week in the Mannford district this year. Bugs are due at the school by this Friday, Oct. 10. School-wide voting will follow, Oct. 13 and 14.
Gooch said this is her first year having her students participate alongside Tiffany Braddy, however, Jennifer Meadows has been hosting the competition for her students for some time.
“Ms. Meadows had participated in the OK Microscopy Society’s Ugly Bug competition previously and had asked if anyone here would want to help host,” said Gooch. “Mrs. Braddy and I signed up to host amongst first through third grades.”
The 29th Ugliest Bug Contest is a competition hosted by the Oklahoma Microscopy Society (OMS) that invites students to enter their most unusual insect finds and acts as a fun and educational way to get students engaged with science and nature. There are a few simple rules that need to be followed for entrants. Only dead bugs are allowed — they can be frozen or dipped in isopropyl alcohol to be preserved. No arachnids — spiders, scorpions, or ticks. Each student may only enter one bug and it must be caught recently in Oklahoma. A completed information sheet is also required. Further information on contest rules can be found at uglybug.oucreate.com.
Only one bug from the district will be sent to compete in the statewide contest where it will be judged against other schools’ entries. If a Mannford student submission is chosen as the ugliest in Oklahoma the district will win a stereo microscope with a camera for the science or computer lab, according to Gooch. Additionally, the district’s ugliest bug will have a close up picture of it taken by OMS that will be sent back to the school for viewing. Mannford’s ugliest bug for 2024 was the Giant Redheaded Centipede that was submitted by Noah Hall.
Gooch said locally the district also host a prettiest bug contest.
“We started the competition with only ugly bugs but quickly realized we needed a second category: beautiful bugs! Students brought in lacewings and butterflies with their shimmering, iridescent and bright colors. So, now we vote on two bugs — the ugliest and the prettiest,” she said.
MLE students are encouraged to be on the hunt for the gnarliest grasshoppers and the most dazzling dragonflies Oklahoma has to offer because this contest is their time to shine.