Creepy Crawlies

Live leaf-cutter ants in the Creepy Crawlies gallery

Satisfy your curiosity for insects, crabs, centipedes and spiders, and explore all things arthropod in our Creepy Crawlies gallery.

Learn about locusts, scorpions, termites and thousands of their relatives.

Star specimens and exhibits

  • a life-size model of a termite mound
  • an interactive game to build a spider
  • a cabinet of crustacean curiosities
  • the cycle of insect life, and how colonies start with a single queen
  • examples of insect communication methods, including scent and colour

Explore the galleries with the Museum map

Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.

Discover: insects

Anthropocene

Butterflies unlocking our climate's secrets

Climate change is having a dramatic effect on the lives of British butterflies - researcher Steve Brooks explains what and why.

In search of new species in wild Colombia

Join Dr Blanca Huertas as she travels to remote Colombia to study butterflies and moths.

Anthropocene

Eat insects, save the world

Insects aren't just an unusual accompaniment to wine - eating them could help sustain Earth's booming population.

British wildlife

Finding love on the web

Spiders may seem scary, but most of them are just looking for love. Read some dating profiles of spiders searching for the perfect mate.

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