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“Bugs,” the colloquial term San Mateo entomologist Stephanie Dole uses to refer to insects, are all around us. The term encompasses six-legged wonders such as flies, beetles, grasshoppers and so many more, including “true bugs” belonging to the order Hemiptera; isopods, a group of crustaceans; arachnids (spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites); and myriapods, which include millipedes and centipedes.
There are around a million insect species known to science so far, Dole said, but there may be at least 5 million – or by some estimates up to 20 million – species out there.
“They’re endlessly fascinating; they’re endlessly beautiful to me,” she said of the incredibly diverse members of the “bug” world. They’re also of critical importance to functioning ecosystems worldwide. Dole said she uses “bug” for these different types of small critters because it’s a playful and accessible term.
Through her business Beetlelady, she shares her expertise and enthusiasm by teaching classes that introduce folks to these sometimes misunderstood or underappreciated creatures up close at local schools, libraries, museums and more.
Dole offers hourlong classes for all ages, from tiny tots to adults, tailored to the target audience. For younger kids, she’ll include movement activities and stories, while she’ll base content for older students on science curriculum used in California public schools. She’s also happy to lead presentations for adults, such as for Master Gardeners events. No matter the demographic, she’s likely to bring several live creatures along to meet the class.
“I can talk about how amazing they are but (interacting with them) … is the number one thing that really changes hearts and minds,” she said of how some people view insects and spiders with fear or disgust, or don’t see them as complex living beings in the same way they view, say, birds or mammals.
“The ones I have are really amazing teaching animals,” she said of her current critter crew. At home, she cares for members of around 25 different species, many of which she gets to know and appreciate individually, such as Ash, a “ridiculously good-natured” tarantula that often stars in her presentations because of her easy-going, friendly personality.
“She has blown me away,” Dole said of the beloved arachnid that never minds letting folks touch her and remains calm and docile with everyone.
Female tarantulas can live long lives, sometimes up to 30 years. It can be difficult, Dole said, when she bonds with animals whose life cycles are much shorter, such as mantises, which only live one year. Her current mantis, Artemis, will be much missed when the time comes, she said.
Entomologist Stephanie “Beetlelady” Dole holds a Goliath beetle named Jack during her event at the Mountain View Public Library on Aug. 27, 2026. Photo by Michael Molcsan. 
Entomologist Stephanie “Beetlelady” Dole speaks while holding a puppet during her event at the Mountain View Public Library Aug. 27, 2026. Photo by Michael Molcsan. 
Entomologist Stephanie “Beetlelady” Dole holds out a giant African millipede named Chorizo for children to touch at her event at the Mountain View Public Library on Aug. 27, 2026. Photo by Michael Molcsan.
Giving them names (one favorite late tarantula was called Barbara) helps people be less afraid and relate more easily to the creatures, she said.
“I’m of the opinion that bugs can use all the help they can get in terms of people empathizing with them and seeing them as animals,” she said.
While there are some bugs that can be dangerous, “most of these animals are totally harmless. That’s one of the things I really try to emphasize, this misconception that things are out to get you,” Dole said.
Even something as common yet feared as a black widow spider is very unlikely to bite a human unless threatened and trying to defend itself.
“You think about how many bugs humans kill and it’s an understandable defense,” she said.
In addition to her classes, Dole has also developed a “pop-up museum,” which can be hired for schools and other venues. It’s a way to offer a field trip-like experience without students having to travel, and it includes live bugs, pinned specimens and interactive activities.
“One of my mottos is ‘bug science for everyone,'” she said. “I try to bring my programs to as many communities as I can,” including offering discounts for Title I schools.
Dole has been working under the Beetlelady name for the past decade, but an interest in beetles and beyond has been part of her identity for even longer. She was “always a biology kid,” who got especially into insects toward the end of high school, she said.
She earned her undergraduate degree from UC Davis and her doctorate in entomology from Michigan State University, then moved to San Mateo when her partner was recruited to the Peninsula for work.
The name Beetlelady, in fact, stems from one of her now-husband’s very first gifts to her when they were dating, around 20 years ago – the domain name beetlelady.com – because she was focusing on tropical bark beetle diversity for her Ph.D.
Dole has long been passionate about outreach and education, having enjoyed her experiences working at museums and zoos. She found that, as a mother of two children, she wanted meaningful work that used her background in (and passion for) entomology in a more flexible way than traditional academia or research jobs typically allow.
She began leading classes and events at her children’s schools and other community spaces. She loved spreading the word about insects, spiders and other critters, and dreamed of making it her career. Ten years ago she decided to do just that, and she loves it as much today as she did then.
A keen and mostly self-taught artist, Dole also does scientific illustrations and photography (her website offers a selection of her designs.) She’s an author, too. In May, Hachette Book Group published her first children’s book: “Bug Power: From Super Strength to Web Slinging; Learn About the Amazing Abilities of Bugs.”
The book celebrates some noteworthy attributes of various species, likening them to superheroes in comic books (she also noted that Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the Pokemon franchise, was inspired by his childhood love of collecting bugs.) There are bugs with super-vision, bugs with amazing flight powers and bugs that glow in the dark, to name just a few.
In addition to Dole’s illustrations and comic-style art by Mark Simmons, the book also includes Dole’s up-close insect photography. One of Dole’s favorite inclusions is Gordo, an ironclad beetle whose photo is in the book and who, she was happy to note, is alive and well.
She’s planning more bug-based children’s books for the future.
“The intention is to show kids these animals that are every bit as interesting as anything that’s made up, or in one of these movies or franchises,” she said. “There are so many untold stories in entomology that kids are really hungry for.”
More information is available at beetlelady.com.
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