Insects and Arachnids and other creepy crawlies in Zoo collections.... I've been a little fascinated with the thought of these collections in zoos around the world,and whenever I've visited collections in the UK,i've always taken in their bug species as much as the rest of their animal holdings. I'm not an entomologist,not even a hardcore knowledgeable zoophile,but I tend to think,given most bugs adult lifespans being so brief,or their larval/pupal stages sometimes being so long or uneventful enough,for them to be of a zoos interest to place on public on-show display. One must take a lot of dedication to find the best bug/arachnid to put on show,to breed and to maintain. There are species that I've noted that are a staple in zoo's bug collections,such as Butterflies (usually the Owl,or Blue Morpho),Stick Insects,the larger Katydids,Fruit and Sun Beetles,Leaf Cutter Ants,Rhinoceros Beetles,certain larger cockroaches,and various Tarantulas. What are your thoughts. What are the most unusual inverts,bugs you have seen zoos holdings.Are Leaf Cutter Ants the only ants that could be displayed..Whats the easiest to house,...or the most difficult..? PS:I think I've read that St Louis Zoo keep dragonflies..?
List of land and freshwater invertebrates kept in collections The most unconventional zoo animals In fact, leaf cutter ants are one of the most difficult ants to display due to their highly specialized diet. I wonder zoos manage to get spores of the fungus they need before starting a colony. Almost any other of the thousands of species of ants are easier to keep, but just leaf-cutter are almost the only eye-catching ones for the average visitor. Berlin zoo keep also various species of Camponotus and Formica. Check the many ant breeding forums for see the enormous diversity of species kept in ant houses in private hands.
In fact, leaf cutter ants are one of the most difficult ants to display due to their highly specialized diet. I wonder zoos manage to get spores of the fungus they need before starting a colony. Almost any other of the thousands of species of ants are easier to keep, but just leaf-cutter are almost the only eye-catching ones for the average visitor..[/QUOTE] For leaf cutter displays I believe most if not all are from wild colonies in the early stages of establishment - they are otherwise destroyed by farmers as they are destroyers of crops. The fungal spores are, at least in the higher attines, taken with the queen ant when she leaves the founder colony on her mating flight. I have never heard of any collection growing a captive colony to the size when it produces its own reproductives, which is not surprising as a large wild colony may be many metres across and deep, and contain millions of ants.
I remember last summer when Stratford Butterfly Farm had an unfortunate crack in the case of their Leaf Cutter Ant enclosure,and most of the colony got out I should have imagined that it would be hard to save or guide the colony back unless they still had the queen(s) in the nest.Never thought to find out the outcome..?
