Sourcing Specimens

Our curator, Bert Candusio has been busy securing suitable species for the 'Live" component of the exhibits and has come across several sources able to provide unusual species for display at the centre.

One of the more unusual species to be made available for public exhibition is a close relative of spiders known as the Amblypigyids or Whip Spiders.

Whip spiders are flattened arachnids that lack a tail but possess very long whip-like first legs. These long legs are used as antennae, sensing the environment around them. The pedipalps are usually robust or very long and contain several sharp spines on the internal faces which helps to capture and secure their prey.

Whip spiders are found in most tropical regions of the world. They prefer to reside in tight crevices such as under rocks or under the bark of trees, but venture out at night. They feed on other invertebrates such as insects which are gently herded towards their mouthparts and pedipalps by their long antennae before they are grasped and dismembered.

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Many insects and related invertebrates are active only during the night and are difficult to see and observe. During these times, spiders and scorpions are active and centipedes are on the hunt for prey.

Our Nocturnal House is a specially designed area of the museum where the dark illumination 'tricks' our specimens into thinking that it is the evening, allowing visitors to see all the activity. Many species are displayed such as various scorpions, spiders, centipedes, snails and millipedes with new additions being added constantly to enhance the displays.

Also housed in this special facility will be numerous 'exotic' species from around the world including some of the largest and most spectacular species ever displayed within
Australia.

This is made possible by the use of our special quarantine classification allowing the IOV to import and display these spectacular animals.

Although the Insectarium of Victoria is situated in a temperate climate, many species are from warmer parts of Australia. In order to maintain tropical species throughout the year, a special environment needs to be provided for them.

Our tropical house allows us to display butterflies, stick insects, leaf insects and other northern Australian species for your enjoyment. We invite you to take a leisurely stroll along the path and observe the diversity of our resident tropical invertebrate animals.

The Insectarium of Victoria has many live invertebrate species on display throughout the centre including numerous spiders, insects, scorpions and other more unusual species not normally seen by the public. Utilising special housing enclosures and open top tables, our staff are able to provide a memorable and informative encounter to our visitors by demonstrating and describing these fascinating animals up close and in safety during your visit.

But not all invertebrates are so easily seen at museums or in the wild. Many are small and can go undetected unless special methods are used to observe them. To help visitors see these tiny examples normally hidden from view, we display a variety of microscopic invertebrate species found in both soils and freshwater using our microscopic cameras and viewing monitors at the centre. This is one of our most fascinating live displays.