I recall growing up in Georgia holding a live
"July Fly" (cicada) loosely in my hand when I was lucky enough to be able to snag one, they are so quick and seldom reachable.
I liked the buzzing of their huge wings in my palm and then open my hand palm up and watch them explode into the sky. Oftentimes they would chirp and sing in my loosely closed hand.
The ones we saw then were not so ominous looking with red eyes as so many recent news photos....they were somewhat drab and camouflaged. I perceived that they would generally fly after singing because they had revealed their location.
But the main thing we did with bugs then in those hot, humid GA summers was catch
June Bugs, tie a thread to one of their back legs and fly 'em. The beautiful, iridescent green beetle was tethered to our hand and they'd go for quite some time.
At dusk we'd catch "
lightning bugs", put them in a jar for a time but then let them go before too long. After the sun went down we'd go in because the skeeters, chiggers and the like would come out in force!
You had to wash your hands when you got in the house, they made your hand stink!