Weekend of Exotic Wonders To Celebrate New Exhibit At Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

Media Release
January 13, 2016
Contact: Matt Reinartz
matt.reinartz@stpaul.gov
651.248.9836 (c)

 

Be Amazed By Dr. Entomo's Palace Of Exotic Wonders

A New exhibit featuring bizarre insects from around the world opening Friday, January 15th

Come one, come all to Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders! Experience the freakish world of exotic insects and invertebrates in this old-fashion circus sideshow-inspired exhibit inside the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory’s Exhibit Gallery from January 15 – April 17, 2016, daily 10am. - 4pm.

Step right up and behold the Devil with Two Heads! Witness Glow-in-the-dark Scorpions! Experience the offending stench of the Giant Vinegaroon! Freakish, bewildering marvels of the insect world will be on display as you explore the truth, myths and mysteries surrounding nature’s most curious creatures.

Those daring enough to enter will be captivated by the deceptive and treacherous techniques these insects can wield on unsuspecting predators. You'll learn how the Giant African Millipede, though harmless-looking enough, can unleash a harmful cyanide secretion. Be amazed by the “Devil with Two Heads,” also known as the Giant Sonoran Centipede, as it reveals its ability to confound predators with a tail that looks just like its head.

Insects and arthropods are many things: helpful pollinators, recyclers, predators that keep other bugs in check, and some are the inspiration for the movie Aliens and seemed designed to freak us out. This is where Dr. Entomo's Traveling Insect Circus comes in. The strange, the unusual, the downright disturbing facts and untruths are set before you in this uniquely visual, highly entertaining exhibit.

Live animals on display include: Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches; Brazilian White Knee Tarantula; Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula; Tucson Blonde Tarantula; Emperor Scorpion; Desert Hairy Scorpion; African Millipedes; Giant Mealworms/Darkling Beetles; Giant Sonoran Centipede; Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula; Black Widow; Chinese Mantid; American Cockroaches; Vinegaroon; Wolf Spider; Jerusalem Crickets; House Crickets; and Red Velvet Ants.

Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders has toured nationwide at institutions such as the North Carolina Arboretum and Delaware Museum of Natural History. Locally, Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders appears only at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in an exclusive, limited engagement. This exhibit is organized by Outhouse Exhibit Services based in Minneapolis. Please also visit drentomo.com portfolio site  where you can view an image gallery of the exhibit features.

          

 

To celebrating the opening of this exhibit we have planned three days of activities!

Saturday, January 16 - Monday, January 18 ~ 10AM - 4PM

Exotic Creature Stations: Learn more about Millipedes, Tarantulas & Scorpions this weekend with our amazing Interpretation Volunteers.

Make & Take Craft - Spider Headband

Exotic Flower Station: Vanilla Orchids located in Tropical Encounters. Did you know vanilla comes from an Orchid? Learn more about these exotic plants that we grow here at Como!

Arthropod Trivia Station: Guests will be able to test their knowledge or learn more about arthropods

Xcel Energy will be here with Conservation Activities

11:00am each day we’ll have a Zookeeper Talk featuring Leaf Cutter Ants

1:00pm each day we’ll have a Special Gardener Talk on Bananas  

 

XXX

 

---

 

This program was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s art and cultural heritage.