Webmaster visited the insectarium of Tama Zoological Park this week.
http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/tama/index.html
Access: Tokyo (local train 0:14) Shinjuku (local train 0:39) Tama-dobutsu-koen
The entrance of the park with a statue of elephant
After five-minute walk from the entrance, you can reach the insectarium which consists of two buildings.
Two large grasshoppers welcome you in front of the insectarium!
The right building is called “Insectopia” which has the shape of a butterfly. The middle part is a large greenhouse.
It says 2,079 butterflies of more than 20 species emerged and were released in the greenhouse in April, the last month.
Can you see many butterflies flying in the greenhouse? Unfortunately, those cannot be well seen on the photos, although many could be seen with the naked eyes.
Close-up shots of butterflies in the greenhouse
Besides the butterflies in the greenhouse, many other living insects were exhibited.
These are chrysalis of butterflies.
Mosaics and a genealogical tree of insects on the walls were also interesting.
In the left building, the ecology and physiology of insects were well explained through its exhibitions.
There were also some exhibitions of living insects and specimens.
These are aquatic insects.
Lea f cutter ants from America
Giant leaf insects from the Malay Peninsula. It was said that 18 individuals were in the cage, but Webmaster have found only 12.
Exhibition room of specimens
Specimens of beetles and cicadas
There was a hands-on corner where you could touch some insects. Do you want to try? Webmaster touched a giant phasmid!
After the visit to the insectarium, Webmaster dropped in at a museum shop near the entrance,
and bought a roll of masking tape with the design of leaf cutter ants as a souvenir.
End.