Science Up Close: Incredible Insects

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Walk down memory lane with us to look at past special exhibits we’ve enjoyed here at the Florida Museum! While this exhibit has moved on to other places, we treasured the opportunity to learn and explore. Find out what exhibits are currently here at the Museum:

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Science Up Close: Incredible Insects

This exhibit was on display May 25, 2024, through September 2, 2024

In the Incredible Insects exhibit, visitors were able to view a live bug zoo, insect specimens and fossils, and an immersive multimedia experience.

With an estimated 5.5 million species, insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. Visitors explored how these extremely valuable creatures impact our lives and culture, from the food we eat to the plants around us.

This was the second themed installment of Science Up Close, a dynamic exhibition series, showcasing the Florida Museum of Natural History’s research and collections in a whole new way.

visitors look at specimen trays displayed on the wall

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

a group of people in a museum space are standing around a working lab and looking at a monitor showing closeups of a person working with a butterfly specimen

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

visitors look at display of insect-themed merchandise: books, posters, movies, toys and other items.

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

three people are taking a selfie in front of a wall covered in fake leaves and insects and a neon sign that reads Florida Museum

Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

the entrance of a museum exhibit with a turnstile and a sign reading Science Up Close: Incredible Insects

Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

adults and children looking at screen showing magnified specimens

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

visitors watch images of insects on the 360 degree screen

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

young visitors use a light table to trace images drawing of insects

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Live Lab Feature

Visitors were able to engage one on one with Florida Museum and University of Florida entomologists in the working lab and learned about all they do! Visitors also encountered live bugs from Florida and learn all about the insects that live among us. Live programming, touchable objects and interactive technology made this exhibit an engaging experiences for all ages.

Florida Museum Researcher shows children live insect specimens

Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

Florida Museum Researcher leans over a table to allow a young child to touch the beetle in her hand

Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

in the exhibits live lab a Florida Museum Researcher uses scientific equipment while visitors watch

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Florida Museum researcher in the live lab holds a moth while a visitor watches

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Thank you to these labs who brought their research and scientists to our exhibit:

May 25-28: Daniels Lab
May 29-June 2: Wong Lab
June 3-5: Lucky Lab
June 6-9: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity
June 10-19: Mallinger Lab and Daniels Lab
June 20-21: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
June 22-23: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity
June 24-30: Reeves Lab
July 1-7: Pereira Lab
July 8-14: Liburd Lab
July 15-28: Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory
July 29-31: Yan Lab
Aug. 1-4: Miller Lab
Aug. 5-18: Leppla Lab and Hodges Lab
Aug. 19-25: Adam Dale Lab
Aug. 26-30: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
Aug. 31-Sept. 2: Daniels Lab

Bug zoo

To make this exhibit possible, University of Florida scientists spent hours out in the field working on a unique and thrilling task: capturing bugs from the wild!