:drool: mmm grubsHmmm..
Mantids: target mantids (pseudocreoboter whalberghi)
Stick insects: giant prickly stick insect (i can't remember)
Also, what about a communal dwarf tarantula display? someone on these boards did this with holothele incei (trinidad olive) and it looked truly impressive.
some nice big scorps! P. imperator (emperor) or Dune scorpions
you could have a 'free taster' section where people could try mopani worms and wichita grubs
Suggestions for a Zoo's Invertebrate Building
- Thread starter Trace
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yeah there ya go, set up some G. portensa and some Tarantulas. when you get too many hissers you can feed them to the Ts lol
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I'm going to have to check out Henry Doorly this summer then. It's been a few years since I've been there... ever since I left Omaha for college. Nice addition! Is it next to the Wild Kingdom and Desert Dome?
I would really recommend some of the less well-known invertebrates like the vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus) and some solifugids, though they're short-lived.
I would really recommend some of the less well-known invertebrates like the vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus) and some solifugids, though they're short-lived.
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Orb weavers definitely, and of course the obligatory Ts every zoo with inverts has (T. Blondi, Some form of brachy, And pinktoes/Poecs)
You should see the invert house at the National Zoon in Washington D.C., and as someone Mentioned, the Cincinnati zoo has an awesome set up too. (I've seen both in person)
Tailless Whip scorpions are neat little critters too, and seem to often be in sight, plus they might have a bit of appeal due to the Harry Potter movie usage.
You should see the invert house at the National Zoon in Washington D.C., and as someone Mentioned, the Cincinnati zoo has an awesome set up too. (I've seen both in person)
Tailless Whip scorpions are neat little critters too, and seem to often be in sight, plus they might have a bit of appeal due to the Harry Potter movie usage.
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Whip scorpions are awesome, the tailess and the vinegaroons. Those are arachnids not too many people ever see.
I've seen some really cool species sphinx moths that would be cool to have. If i were u I'd definitely pick some colorful species of mantids, like the spiny flower mantis.
I've seen some really cool species sphinx moths that would be cool to have. If i were u I'd definitely pick some colorful species of mantids, like the spiny flower mantis.
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all the exotic inverts are all well and good and probably necesary to hook the normals...
but i would love to see some of the less well known USA native inverts.
Scolopendra heros x
Native trap doors
A scolopocryptops exhibit... but the scolopo's have to come from Alaska (i think it would trip ppl out to know that "giant" centipedes live in AK!
A native millipede exhibit. you could go polyspecial there.
i dunno. i just think it would be kind of funny to have this great exhibit and not have any/very much of the native US invert fauna in it. hopefully seeing native stuff might do something to stimulate some conservationism.
but i would love to see some of the less well known USA native inverts.
Scolopendra heros x
Native trap doors
A scolopocryptops exhibit... but the scolopo's have to come from Alaska (i think it would trip ppl out to know that "giant" centipedes live in AK!
A native millipede exhibit. you could go polyspecial there.
i dunno. i just think it would be kind of funny to have this great exhibit and not have any/very much of the native US invert fauna in it. hopefully seeing native stuff might do something to stimulate some conservationism.
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Start a breeding program for S. robusta... I would love to see an Alaskan giant pede!
not sure about wasps, but the farm i used to work at had honeybees that bilt nest inside a glass cage and there was a tube from the glass into the out door, really cool to watch all the bees moving around.
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Y'all need imagination. The last thing we need is a stereotypical bug display.
Set up a C. crawshayi in a huge haplo tank, so it's forced to burrow next to the glass.
Lasiodora and blondi aren't a bad idea.
Some poecilotheria ssp would be needed. Every T exhibit I've ever seen in any zoo was entirely NW.
But also focus on tarantulas that aren't so common. Heteroscodra maculata would be a good choice.
The new segmented abdomen trapdoors that Botar has would be perfect.
Any bug exhibit needs sticks and and assassins. Acquatic inverts, too.
How about an open air nephilia exhibit where visitors can toss crickets into the webs?
A moth house and an exhibit on rearing the catterpillars.
Giant millipedes are a bit overdone, so I agree with caco...a native milli exhibit is the way to go.
How about the new arboreal centis?
A native scolopendrid exhibit would be a good idea.
Some lethal buthids would be nice to see.
Exotic widows.
Wetas would be cool.
Tropical roaches, a nice Cranniifer colony would be cool to see.
Bulldog ants would be cool to see and also something that's not in the country. I always thought the Omaha zoo had a bullet ant exhibit.
You could set up a beehive, a wasp colony and a bulldog ant colony in a way to explore the evolution of hymenoptera. The bulldog ant family (jack-jumpers, etc.) are the most primitive ants. Their social structure is closer to wasps than to ants IIRC.
That would be the perfect bug exhibit
Set up a C. crawshayi in a huge haplo tank, so it's forced to burrow next to the glass.
Lasiodora and blondi aren't a bad idea.
Some poecilotheria ssp would be needed. Every T exhibit I've ever seen in any zoo was entirely NW.
But also focus on tarantulas that aren't so common. Heteroscodra maculata would be a good choice.
The new segmented abdomen trapdoors that Botar has would be perfect.
Any bug exhibit needs sticks and and assassins. Acquatic inverts, too.
How about an open air nephilia exhibit where visitors can toss crickets into the webs?
A moth house and an exhibit on rearing the catterpillars.
Giant millipedes are a bit overdone, so I agree with caco...a native milli exhibit is the way to go.
How about the new arboreal centis?
A native scolopendrid exhibit would be a good idea.
Some lethal buthids would be nice to see.
Exotic widows.
Wetas would be cool.
Tropical roaches, a nice Cranniifer colony would be cool to see.
Bulldog ants would be cool to see and also something that's not in the country. I always thought the Omaha zoo had a bullet ant exhibit.
You could set up a beehive, a wasp colony and a bulldog ant colony in a way to explore the evolution of hymenoptera. The bulldog ant family (jack-jumpers, etc.) are the most primitive ants. Their social structure is closer to wasps than to ants IIRC.
That would be the perfect bug exhibit
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As others have said, definitely T. blondi or apophysis. I'd also strongly recommend Acanthoscurria geniculata, great display species, at the current Spiders: ALIVE! exhibit here at the Museum of Natural History my A. geniculata is getting more attention than most of the others. Theraphosa are also great because you can feed them more often than most other species. Also some species of Poecilotheria as an example of an old world arboreal, since they look vastly different from average person's idea of a tarantula.
A colony of Platymeris genus assassins would be a great idea too, extremely easy to keep and large numbers can be housed together.
Vietnamese walking sticks are nice too.
As far as scorpions, P. transvaalicus would be my first choice for display, maybe some Androctonus too. Something besides the standard Scorpionidae family scorpions you see in most displays.
A colony of Platymeris genus assassins would be a great idea too, extremely easy to keep and large numbers can be housed together.
Vietnamese walking sticks are nice too.
As far as scorpions, P. transvaalicus would be my first choice for display, maybe some Androctonus too. Something besides the standard Scorpionidae family scorpions you see in most displays.