In the basement of WVU Davis College’s Agricultural Sciences Building, creatures of the night lurk, gnawing on leaves and decaying matter, hissing and clicking, growing in size and number. It’s not an infestation or a six-legged uprising in the making — it’s the WVU Arthropod Museum and Insect Zoo, and its crawlies aren’t as creepy as you might expect.
Founded in 2007 by professor of entomology Yong-Lak Park and research assistant of entomology Vicki Kondo, the WVU Insect Zoo was first established with just a handful of bug-eyed residents with the intention of filling a niche that was previously lacking in the state. Since then, it has provided a unique opportunity for students and visitors to get an up-close look at different types of insects and learn about the important roles they play in the ecosystem.
“We think it’s important for people to recognize insects and know something about their importance in the ecosystem, and give people a chance to see some different types of insects and arthropods,” said Kondo. “I think there’s a little bit of something for everybody.”
Made up of about 25 species, the insect zoo is an ever-changing snapshot of invertebrate species from right in your backyard to the deepest forests of Madagascar. The zoo’s residents currently and have previously included the New Guinea spiny stick insect, black widow spider, giant Southeast Asian centipede, goliath bird-eating tarantula, blue death feigning beetle, dairy cow isopod and a variety of cockroach species. Most popular among visitors are those that allow for interaction through touching and holding the animals, including the hissing cockroaches, stick insects and beetles.
Kondo’s favorite part of the zoo, though, doesn’t really look like much at first.
Sitting on one of the zoo’s shelves are two seemingly run-of-the-mill sticky traps designed to catch pests. These aren’t just any sticky traps, however, but a demonstration of the complexity and intelligence of insects.
“Every spring, in one of the offices, we would have all these ants swarming. I thought, ‘I’ll put down one of these sticky traps, and I’ll put some honey in the middle, and I’ll come in Monday and all the ants will be stuck in the sticky trap, right? Wrong,'” Kondo explained. “I came in Monday morning, and the ants had taken little pieces of rock and stone from the foundation of the building, and they built a bridge. They got the honey, and nobody died. I tell people, ‘Think about that! These ants worked together and they solved a problem.'”
Beyond the sticky traps and live animals, the zoo showcases the complex world of arthropods in a variety of ways.
Educational posters and dioramas provide background information on some of the zoo’s animals, invasive species in West Virginia and more. The zoo’s other greatest attraction is its expansive collection of preserved arthropod specimens. More than 20,000 deceased specimens are stored by the museum, with a curation of specimens on display within the zoo. This includes many that may be recognizable to visitors, like butterflies of West Virginia, or less familiar, like tropical species from around the world.
Although the zoo is not regularly open to the public, there are plenty of opportunities to experience what it has to offer, including reserved tours and public events. Individuals or groups interested in exploring the zoo can contact Kondo at vkondo@wvu.edu to schedule a tour, and doing so is one of the best ways to support the zoo’s operations.
Or, October will bring Halloween with the WVU Insect Zoo, a seasonal open house offering opportunities to interact with some zoo residents, participate in bug-themed activities, learn about relevant research and more. The zoo will be featuring a new insect just in time for this event: Halloween hissing cockroaches. Keep an eye out for further event information at X.com/WVUDavis.
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