For every man on Earth there are over 150 million bugs. “The six-legged giants” have conquered almost all the habitats of our planet … .so for this perhaps it is the case to begin to know them better.
With Bugs&Co. a new exhibition, in Città della Scienza, starting next March 4th, it will be possible to discover all the secrets and understand what made them so successful.
An exhibition, as in the tradition of Città della Scienza, not only to watch but to live: it will be possible to observe, hear and touch closely the world of insects, spiders, scorpions and other invertebrates. Thanks to the spectacular specimens in the entomological boxes it will be possible to appreciate the bright colors and the strangest shapes, while living insects, with unique characteristics, will be hosted in the naturalistic terrariums.
A journey through the micro world of six-legged animals to learn what they eat, how they reproduce, where they live and how they contribute, with their incessant activity, to maintaining functioning ecosystems.
In the exhibition you can also see giant models of mouths and other parts of insects, typical of their food behavior, while films and multimedia programs will present records among insects, from the largest to the longest, from heaviest to the most poisonous.
Contents will change regularly, so each visit will present fascinating novelties, and on a weekly basis also specific insights on useful and harmful insects. Bags & co. Exhibition gives the opportunity to face one’s own phobias or simply admire the wonders of the world of invertebrates.
The exhibition path, of over 200 square meters, is divided into six thematic islands:
A SILENT INVASION deals with the relationship between BAGS and MAN – from mass destruction, to the use of bags useful for agriculture, from the defense against invasive species to the use of insects as food.
ALL TOGETHER! Focusing on the theme of communication and collective behavior through the categories of “social” bags, highlighting how the development of sociality has allowed to enormously increase the potentialities of ants, wasps, bees.
THE ART OF TRICK. In this area space is given to the interactions between insects and the environment around them, observing the extraordinary mimicry techniques of stick and leaf insects.
WE ARE THEY MADE OF? A space to tell the anatomy of insects, the characteristics that distinguish them and the similarities and differences they have with other invertebrates, in anatomy and in physiology.
DO BAGS FALL IN LOVE? The main purpose of every adult insect is to find a partner for reproduction, and it all starts with flirting. In this island you will discover how to reproduce insects, flirt techniques, life cycles and stages of development of useful bags and also those harmful to humans.
BEWARE OF PREDATORS scorpions, tarantulas, mantids and killing bugs, among the most voracious predators of the group of arthropods, discovering their predatory techniques.
Exhibition area will be updated weekly with new kind of insects and with insights, laboratories and curiosities.
The space will be completed by an area dedicated to laboratories for children. Numerous activities will enliven the spaces from time to time: from coding to 3d printer and robotics as well as traditional laboratories of Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, Food and Health. Educational, manipulative and playful moments exploring art and technology stimulating fun ideas into practice through technological tools, but also stimulating the creativity of the children. There is no shortage of initiatives related to nature and the environment with a social and formative purpose to discover the why of natural and scientific phenomena, through games and creative writing, drawings, paintings and sculptures with clay.
Città della Scienza Commissioner Giuseppe Albano on TV “Good morning Campania Region” March 2nd, 2018 introducing the exhibition: