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Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: May 2, 2003
Author: Tom Wickersham

INSECTS INVADE EXPLORIT

Officials at Explorit Science Center don't seem to be too upset that termites have found their way into the east Davis facility. On the contrary, they seem to be quite pleased.

"People spend a lot of energy trying to exterminate termites, but often may not know what they look like" said Dave Roser, exhibit interpreter at Explorit.

The damp wood termites, some death's head cockroaches and walking sticks from Australia and India are on display as part of Explorit's new exhibition, "What's the Buzz? Insects around Us." The exhibition runs through June 8.

Visitors can view these insects as well as engage in several hands-on exhibits like experimenting with different tools that imitate the various ways that insects eat. Some insects lap up their food, others chew, and still others suck their food. Been bitten by a mosquito recently?

"But the favorite activity is the 'Make Your Own Insect' station," Roser noted. Here visitors can use an assortment of parts including beads, pipe cleaners, paper and styrofoam peanuts to fashion their own bug. They can make a butterfly, a beetle or an imaginary insect.

"Kids who come here are trying to incorporate what they've learned about insects - three body segments, six legs and so forth. They're pretty creative," Roser added.

Insects are found throughout the world. Moths, flies, mosquitoes, bees, stink bugs, cicadas, cockroaches, grasshoppers, lady bugs, dragonflies, beetles, ants and grasshoppers are all examples of insects. 

In fact, 95% of all the animal species on the earth are insects. Over 1 million different insect species have been identified and many more are waiting to be discovered.

There are a few characteristics that all insects have in common. They all have an exoskeleton (an outer "shell"), three pairs of legs, and a pair of antennae. Most adults also have two pairs of wings. Of course with over a million species, there will be a few exceptions.

An animal that is often mistaken for an insect is the spider. Spiders are arachnids, which are different than insects in that they have eight legs and two body parts.

The Australian walking stick and the Indian walking sticks on display at Explorit sure are making a big hit. At least that's the buzz.

"People are amazed at how big the Australian walking stick is," Roser said. The Indian walking sticks are camouflaged into their display such that visitors often spend a fair amount of time just trying to find all of them.

How do visitors feel about the insects?

"There are two types of people," Roser said. "Those that like insects and those that don't."

Roser is noted for his ability to get squeamish visitors to handle one of the Madagascan hissing cockroaches. 

Because insects are all around us, and because they provide an incredible service to humans - think about pollination and honey for example - we just might be better off getting to know them a little better.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is "What's the Buzz? Insects around Us," which continues through June 8. Public hours are Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.