Posted February 3, 1999

Though it may look like the set of an eerie science fiction movie, it's really the newest exhibit at the Lawrence Hall of Science -- "Backyard Monsters: The World of Insects."

The exhibit, which opens Saturday, Feb. 6, and runs through June 6, magnifies the minature world of insects into giant proportions with the help of animatronics. The moving robots mimic real-life insect behaviors, revealing how they eat, communicate and move about.

Visitors can watch a unicorn beetle the size of a compact car raise its feelers while foraging for food; an emperor scorpion snap its claws, poised to strike; an 8-foot-tall praying mantis flash its powerful jaws; and a black-widow spider descend upon her freshly-snared prey.

Through hands-on activities, guests can control a robo-bug to learn about insect locomotion, step inside an insect's eye to see how it views the world or get an up-close look at a mosquito's mouth or a butterfly's wing at the magnification station.

Real insect collections, including arachnids, beetles, butterflies and "weird" insects, will also be on display.

Daily, live demonstrations -- featuring walking sticks, caterpillars and a tarantula -- will be presented during the exhibit weekdays at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and weekends and holidays at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Special activities for families will take place Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 2 p.m.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults; $4 for children 7 to 18, seniors and students; and $2 for children 3 to 6.

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February 3 - 9, 1999 (Volume 27, Number 21)
Copyright 1999, The Regents of the University of California.
Produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs at UC Berkeley.
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