GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Museum of Natural History visitors will get a glimpse into the life of bark beetles in the new “Bark Beetle Calligraphy” exhibit opening July 8.

This free gallery exhibition, created by University of Florida school of forest resources & conservation assistant professor Jiri Hulcr, features 10 mixed-media pieces of high resolution images of bark beetles with examples of their three-dimensional habitats.

The exhibit “transports you into the life and mind of these unusual creatures,” said Jonnie Dietz, Florida Museum exhibit developer and outreach coordinator. “It reveals the incredible beauty of their private lives and the unintentional artwork they leave behind.”

Bark beetles reproduce in the inner tissues of both living and dead trees. Some play an important role in keeping forests healthy, while others may cause severe infestations and tree death. The exhibit artwork provides visitors a rare opportunity to see the intricate signatures these insects leave behind after colonization.

Hulcr curated the exhibit with photographs by Hulcr, Craig Bateman, U. Schmidt and K.V. Makarov, and installation by Michael Pollard.

All Florida Museum exhibits, including “Frogs! A Chorus of Colors” and the “Butterfly Rainforest,” are free for UF students with a valid Gator 1.

For more information, call 352-846-2000 or visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu.

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Writer: Catalina Ruiz, PRintern@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Jonnie Dietz, 352-273-2048, jdietz@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media Contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu