Insect zoos and butterfly houses for public education: issues related to shipping and international trade of non-native insects.

Abstract

Informal science education institutions such as zoos, natural history museums and botanical gardens exhibit live native and exotic insects and other arthropods to improve the general public's knowledge about these organisms and promote their conservation in nature. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the process of shipping exotic arthropods for exhibits and the regulations that apply, and to discuss issues that affect international shipment for this type of activity. These issues include escapes affecting the environment and delays affecting the viability of shipped insects. The regulatory agencies that issue permits for the importation of live insects for education and exhibit are discussed. The number of butterflies flying in the exhibits ranges from 100 specimens at the Butterfly Encounter of the Connecticut Science Center to a high of 15,000 specimens at the Dubai Butterfly Garden, with a mean of 2,048 specimens (n = 32). If the outlier of 15,000 is removed, the mean is 1,630 (n = 31). Insect zoos and butterfly exhibits play an overwhelmingly positive educational role by introducing millions of children and adults to the immensely important world of insects.