Hi everyone, if you have been to the park recently, have you made sure to visit our new bug exhibit?
The brand-new bug garden opened on 17th May as we were given the go ahead by the government to be able to open the park back up after the last lockdown restrictions were lifted.
If you have not managed to find the entrance on your visit, it is situated between the mixed parrot aviary and the hyacinth macaws.
You may have also seen the sneak preview during our Facebook live streams, where Markus gave you a tour during the lockdown of the new exhibit.
The Bug Garden
The bug garden has seen a lot of plants added including lots of vegetables in the veg plot and flowers to encourage some of our home-grown invertebrate species in. The outside area is all about educating you about our own beautiful native species of insects and how important they are to our ecosystems.
We do have quite a few large insect models, which show you all their finer details without needing a microscope. Like the hairs on a Cockchafer beetle.
These surprisingly large beetles (growing to 9 cm) only live for around 6 weeks once adult, spending this time looking for a mate. The larval stage of this beetle stays underground for between 3-5 years, feeding on grass roots and vegetables.
We also have two giant stag beetles fighting.
Stag beetle adults rely on the fat reserves they build up as larvae. They consume tree sap, their favourite trees are oak. You would mainly find these in woodlands. So, if you take a walk in the woods keep your eyes pealed for these impressive looking bugs.
There are also a lot of ideas dotted around the garden for ways to encourage and provide homes for various animals in your own garden. These include bug hotels, hedgehog houses and bird feeders.
We would encourage everyone to perhaps think about leaving a small area of your garden planted with wildflowers and not cut back any plants to provide a home for animals.
The Bug House
The indoor Bug House is home to over 45 species of invertebrates. These range from tiny pill bugs to large tarantulas. We are still awaiting the arrival of our white clawed crayfish, but this should not be too much longer.
With our new invertebrate section, we now have a new dedicated invertebrate keeper who works full time in the bug house. We also have another two members of staff that cover this section when needed. This is a very specialised area. It takes a very dedicated person to work with invertebrates every day, all day.
Let me introduce you to a few of our residents which have all been named by our invertebrate keeper.
Firstly, we have Petunia, our 9-year-old Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula. She is our largest tarantula, and this species is considered the third largest tarantula species in the world. They have a leg span of up to 11 inches with females reaching weights of over 100g. Isn’t she beautiful?
We also have Roger the Dead Leaf Mantis. Mantises are expert predators, using their long front legs to grab prey. They are the epitome of stealth.
The hermit crab trio; Spongebob, Patrick and Squidward
A Hermit crabs shell does not grow with them, in fact they look very strange when out of their shell. As they grow, they must keep upgrading their home to a bigger one by finding something new. If you look in their enclosure you will see a few empty shells that are there to tempt them into once they are big enough.
Next time you are in your garden or out and about, have a look to see what bugs you can find. I guarantee you they are a lot more interesting than you think.
