One of the joys of spring is observing the antics of insects and their relatives as they resume their activities outdoors. To celebrate this annual renaissance, the Department of Entomology hosts an Insect Petting Zoo as part of the Maryland Day Gala at the College Park Campus of the University of Maryland on Saturday, April 25, from 10 am to 4 pm. This year’s petting zoo will feature an incomparable ensemble of friendly, ferocious, and creepy crawly creatures. A visit to the petting zoo is sure to delight insect aficionados of all ages.

At the Insect Petting Zoo you can meet Rosalita face to face.

This year's extravaganza features bugs from around your home and around the world. Giant Lubber Locusts straight from the Everglades of Florida will reveal their favorite delicacies and how they defend themselves from being eaten. Meet Rosalita the Chilean Rose Tarantula and learn about how tarantulas capture and subdue their prey. Asian Walking Sticks are true masters of disguise as they hide in the branches of trees. See if you can spot one hiding somewhere in the zoo. Watch out for the whip scorpion that has a clever trick up its sleeve, or should we say its tail, to thwart attacks by enemies. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a black widow spider with a bright red hourglass tattooed on her abdomen. The arts of trickery, mimicry, thanatosis, and other feats of deception and disguise will be revealed by Blue Death Feigning Beetles, Robber Flies, Polyphemus Moths, Flower Flies, and Monarch Butterflies.

Find out how the whip scorpion defends itself.

The Insect Zoo is not just a treat for the eyes alone. Children will have the chance to hold and touch (with parental permission, of course) a giant millipede from the desert or a hairy caterpillar from a cherry tree. If touching isn’t your thing, then you can listen to the buzzing of a bee or the hissing of a cockroach from Madagascar. Meet face to face the number one killer of humans on the planet: dreaded anopheles mosquitoes. Curious smells are on the menu as well. Learn what unwelcome house guest has the aroma of cilantro and discover an arachnid with the pungent odor of vinegar. Investigate the wonders of a honey bee colony and meet industrious carpenter bees. Stop by the invasive species corner and meet Asian Longhorned Beetles, Emerald Ash Borers and the most nefarious home invader of them all, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.

Children can collect insect stickers and the first 500 visitors may take home a Terrapin Lady Beetle to release in their garden! If you like insects in general and butterflies and bees in particular, be sure to visit the Butterfly Boost exhibit at the Arboretum Outreach Center. So, come one, come all to explore Maryland Day and the Insect Petting Zoo!

References

To learn more about Maryland Day and the location of the Insect Petting Zoo and Butterfly Boost, please click on the following links:

Maryland Day: http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/

Insect Petting Zoo: http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/search/Eventplan_detail.cfm?event_id=47941

Butterfly Boost: http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/search/Eventplan_detail.cfm?event_id=47617