What can we learn from a dinosaur feather preserved in amber? Let’s go behind the scenes of the Museum’s collection of amber fossils to find out!
Have you ever seen a prettier insect? With a wingspan of up to 2 in (5 cm), the rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) can be found throughout North America; its range spans much of the United States' East Coast and parts of southern Canada. Nocturnal and solitary, its vibrant color provides camouflage among the fruits of red maple trees. This species can live for up to nine months in the wild.
Photo: diohio1, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, i Naturalist
Today’s Exhibit of the Day? 🐛🐞🐜 The Museum’s Life on the Forest Floor Diorama. To create this up-close look—full of decomposing debris and hungry critters—Museum artists studied specimens under a microscope. Then, these bugs, weevils, and beetles were enlarged to about 24 times their actual size! Models were made out of clay, wax, and other materials. This archival image, snapped in 1958, depicts a Museum preparator installing models into this scene.
Photo: Image no. 325494 / © AMNH Library
Meet Rin Krichilsky (they/them), a Ph.D. student in the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School and at Columbia University. Rin studies the biodiversity and evolution of bees and their close relatives, Apoid wasps! 🐝
Meet one of the largest insects on the planet: the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)! With a wingspan that can reach 10.6 in (27 cm), this giant can be found in parts of Asia including China, India, and Indonesia. As a caterpillar, the Atlas moth spends nearly every moment eating… but as an adult, it cannot feed because it has a non-functioning mouthpart—resulting in a lifespan of only up to two weeks. Did you know? You can spot this species up close in the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium in the Museum's Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation! Plan your visit.
Photo: armbbb, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
When this spider eats, “glitter” comes out.✨Meet the black-spotted thwaitesia (Thwaitesia nigronodosa)! It sequesters a silvery chemical compound, called guanine, during digestion. Found in parts of southern Australia, this shimmering arachnid is a member of the genus thwaitesia; members of this genus are also known as sequined spiders or mirror spiders, thanks to their sparkly appearance! Scientists think these colorful displays are actually a form of camouflage.
Photo: nicklambert, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 iNaturalist
Have you ever seen the magnificent rainbow scarab (Phanaeus vindex)? This colorful dung beetle can be found in parts of the eastern and central United States. While most dung beetles are dull shades of brown or gray, this species is one of a handful adorned in striking iridescent colors. Males also sport large horns on their heads! Like other dung beetles, this insect rolls dung into balls to incubate its young. It also digs dung-filled tunnels nearby to ensure that the newborn beetles will have enough to eat.
Photo: Thomas Shahan, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Mantises may be some of the most out-of-this-world-looking critters on Earth, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share incredible adaptations to similar habitats. These dazzling displays of convergence may have something to tell us about evolution.
In the latest episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware as she visits mantis expert and graduate student Lohit Garikipati at the Towson University Mantis Lab to see how researchers are using high-speed infrared cameras to track the movements of mantis prey capture. The similarities (and differences) in hunting techniques can help reveal how environments shape the animals that live in them.
Brood XIX and Brood XIII are making their way to center stage! Join Insectarium host Dr. Jessica L Ware as she debunks some myths you may have heard and explains what these insects are up to during their time above ground.
Have you started seeing cicadas in your neighborhood? Let us know in the comments!
Travel to Guyana with Anna Eichert and RJ Millena, Ph.D. students at the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the Museum. See how studying insect biodiversity helps scientists understand the impacts of climate change and other factors on these essential critters.
🐜 These ants didn’t grow up in a small town—they’re from the big city!
🏙️ In pavement cracks, roadside medians, and parking lots, there are incredible miniature civilizations booming within concrete jungles. In the latest episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware as she explores what life is like for ants that live in New York City. Follow along as Ware joins Amy Savage, Ph.D., in a search of some tiny neighbors—and find out how urban ants are doing things a bit differently in street medians than they would in a more rural setting.
Insects are critical to the survival of most other animals, including humans. But many insect species, from beetles to dragonflies to butterflies, are declining in abundance due in part to human activity. For Earth Month, Insectarium host Dr. Jessica L Ware gives tips on small things each of us can do to make a lasting impact and help insects thrive for years to come.
Learn more about insects with Museum Curator Jessica Ware in Insectarium on PBS Terra's YouTube channel.
At a glance, you might think you can easily distinguish a butterfly from a moth. But take a closer look. There are colorful moths and day-flying moths that can throw you for a loop! Next time you come across a member of the Order Lepidoptera, use these tips from Insectarium host Dr. Jessica L Ware.
Learn more about butterflies in Insectarium on the PBS Terra YouTube channel.
Why are monarch butterflies disappearing? You may know them for their amazing migration, but over the past few decades, monarch butterflies have been part of a vanishing act that has scientists worried. In this episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware for a close look at this iconic insect and its incredible lifecycle, then follow conservation biologists Ashley Fisher and Isis Howard to a monarch overwintering spot as they try to figure out what’s behind the population plunge.
🪳 Have you ever had a cockroach fly in your direction? While many species of cockroach possess wings as adults, few of them actually use them to fly. Learn why with Insectarium host Dr. Jessica L Ware! "Fly" even deeper into the world of the incredible cockroach in the latest episode of Insectarium!
Have you considered.... the roach? Cockroaches are surprisingly diverse, and they’re crucial contributors to ecosystems worldwide. In the latest episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware for surprising facts about the order Blattodea—roaches and termites. Ware is joined by entomologist and pest control field supervisor Megan Wilson, Ph.D, who helps us change our perspective on these six-legged critters. We’ll also learn about termite researcher Margaret Collins, the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in entomology!
🐞 Beneath ladybugs' charming spots and vibrant colors lie…killer instincts. They’re effective predators and sometimes agricultural allies in their hunger for plant pests like aphids. In the latest episode of Insectarium, join host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware to find out how the delicate dance of predator-prey interactions in the insect world could help protect our crops and gardens. Ware is joined by Penn State entomologist Sara Hermann, who is investigating how ladybugs’ “perfume”—the chemical cocktail that makes up their odor—might become a tool for sustainable agriculture.
The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.