Bugs Alive!

Now Showing

Harlequin bug
Harlequin bug
Source: Museum Victoria
Photographer: Alan Henderson

Explore the amazing world of insects and spiders!

Bugs Alive! includes over 100 species of live insects and spiders, thousands of specimens from the museum's collection, giant models and exciting interactive exhibits.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Type: Permanent Exhibition

Daily, Now Showing
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Science and Life Gallery

Included with museum entry.
MV Members receive FREE museum entry.

Comments (16) popular  |  oldest  |  newest

Matthew Nicolici 11 Sep 2010 11:40
You should get a Camponotus sp colony in the bugs alive Exhibition. Just thinking out loud.
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Enis Besirevic 08 Dec 2010 09:48
I have a chistmas beetle!!! What do I feed it? Whats is it's habitat? Dose it bite hard?
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Discovery Centre 08 Dec 2010 16:53
Museum Victoria

Hi Enis, Christmas Beetles feed on gum leaves and their chewing causes a characteristic zig-zag hole in the leaves. Young Christmas Beetles, called Curl Grubs, live in the soil and feed on plant roots and organic matter. You can feed adult beetles with small branches of gum leaves placed in a jar of water to keep them fresh. Spray the beetles with clean water once a day and change the gum when it no longer looks fresh.

Because of their different food needs, adult beetles and grubs are found in different habitats – gum trees for the adults and pasture for the grubs. They are therefore most common in suburban parklands or the edges of farmland.

Adult beetles have stout mouthparts but don’t bite, but their strong claws can get a firm grip on your hand if you let them.

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Geoff O'Connor 11 Jan 2011 22:47
Upon a recent visit to Melbourne i visited the museum and spoke to someone regarding stick insects eggs , i currently kept spiny leafs , but would like some other species . If you could help out with some eggs for myself , it would be greatly appreciated .
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crumpet 06 Apr 2011 10:57
1 luv bugz aliv
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harry 07 Jul 2011 20:54
is it possible for anyone to buy any live bugs from melbourne museum
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harry 07 Jul 2011 20:58
I want a Goliath stick insect. Mine just recently died. Is it possible for me to purchace one from Melbourne museum.
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Elizabeth Walsh 30 Nov 2011 11:02
As a member of the local Friends of Native Wildlife in Bayside, our bushland crew have seen on two occasions at the beach recently a wasp spider. Suggested it is an import. What would be the best place to investigate this for our local knowledge please.
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Discovery Centre 30 Nov 2011 11:11
Museum Victoria
Hi Elizabeth, the Museum does have a free identification service. Please feel free to have a look at the guidelines here.
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tahlia 21 Dec 2011 23:05
hi im the bug freak of my school same with animals but im more focussed at bugs right now the flowers were out a while ago matis nyphs everywhere! i got the name bug girl for a obvious reason . i've read every bug book in my library . my fave bugs are matids and rino beetles. my fav thing to do is catch centipedes at my uncles farm even though i've been bitten 2wice
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Alex Ferguson 06 Jan 2012 22:01
One thing I noticed may be lacking in the exhibit are some live centipedes. I could donate an Ethmostigmus rubripes some time, nice large specimen that would look good on display.
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Carol 14 Jan 2012 13:52
I have searched the Internet to find a beetle that is in plague proportions in our Eycalypts. Millions of them. They have: six legs; grass green bodies; a small band of orange at the tail; a small band of orange below the head and they are orange underneath? Can anyone tell me what they are and should I be worried? If they are a problem, what should I do? Thanks

 

Discovery Centre 15 Jan 2012 11:35
Museum Victoria
 

Hello Carol,

The Discovery Centre has received many enquiries over the last few weeks about swarms of beetles in suburban gardens in and around Melbourne; they are Plague Soldier Beetles, Chauliognathus lugubris.

Take a look at our recent 'Question of the week blog' on these beetles to see if yours are the same please note that for homeowners who may be hosting huge numbers of this colourful species, don't be too concerned, following the mating swarm the beetles tend to disperse.

If these are not the same as the beetles at your house the Discovery Centre does offer an identification service

Before submitting your identification request, please read our guidelines for using our identification service.

Follow this link to our on-line form and scroll to the end to submit identification requests photographs are compulsory.

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Discovery Centre 29 Jan 2012 16:49
Museum Victoria

Hi Alex, thank you for your offer of centipedes. A centipede display currently exists in Bugs Alive, in the section that deals with venoms (opposite the screen playing bug horror movies). We also have Ethmostigmus rubripes in our collection but, as we have only one place to display centipedes, this species rotates on display with species of desert centipedes.

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finn robinsen 21 Apr 2012 08:42
hi if im right you have a green headed ant/Rhytidoponera metallica colony and was wondering how to get a queen or when their nuptial fly t is
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Discovery Centre 22 Apr 2012 11:12
Museum Victoria
Hi Finn, We don't have a Green Headed Ant colony at Melbourne Museum - we have Green Tree Ants, Meat Ants, Jumping Jacks and Bullants. We can't find any records for the precise timing of nuptial flights for this species, but it is most likely early spring. If you know the location of current nests, the best bet for obtaining a queen is to search for queens returning from their flights on warm spring afternoons.
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robert 25 May 2012 22:03
What do you guys feed your giant burrowing roaches and are they handable for educational purposes?
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