Bugs Alive exhibition opens at Museum of Nature

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Amazing leafcutter ants and other live creatures featured in Bugs Alive exhibition at Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canadian Museum of Nature has some new residents, and some of them just can’t sit still. Leafcutter ants—industrious, remarkable insects that work around the clock —are the star attraction in Bugs Alive, a permanent exhibition of live insects and arachnids that opened on April 7th 2022.

Visitors will be able to watch these busy little farmers at work in their specially-designed 3.3-metre-long habitat, cutting vegetation and transporting leaves to their fungal nests inside transparent orbs.

Along with leafcutter ants, Bugs Alive features 20 other species of crawling creatures: stick insects, tarantulas, beetles, scorpions, millipedes, Florida katydids and the Horrid king assassin bug. Visitors will discover which ones are hunters, which are skilled at hiding thanks to camouflage, and which are master recyclers. 

The exhibition extends into the museum solarium—with its natural light and lush vegetation, it’s a tranquil setting in which to relax and connect with the natural world. 

Other engaging components include a micro-eye station where visitors can examine preserved specimens under a magnifier, and a climbable model of a Hercules beetle that provides opportunities for play and fun photos.

Bugs Alive is a permanent exhibition and is included with museum admission. Timed-ticketing is in effect. Purchase tickets at nature.ca.

The museum is located at 240 McLeod Street in Ottawa, and is open from Wednesday to Sunday.

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