Monsanto insectarium
Encyclopedia
Insectarium
An insectarium is a type of live insect zoo, or a museum or exhibit of live insects. Insectariums often display a variety of insects and similar arthropods, such as spiders, beetles, cockroaches, ants, bees, millipedes, centipedes, crickets, grasshoppers, stick insects, scorpions and mantids...
located within the St. Louis Zoo
Saint Louis Zoological Park
The Saint Louis Zoological Park, commonly known as the St. Louis Zoo, is a zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education...
, in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. David Mason & Associates designed the $4 million, 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) facility which opened in 2000. It houses educational exhibits and an active breeding and research facility. The research facility includes a window to the exhibits area and two-way communications so visitors may watch entomologists work and ask them questions. The facility also includes a geodesic
Geodesic
In mathematics, a geodesic is a generalization of the notion of a "straight line" to "curved spaces". In the presence of a Riemannian metric, geodesics are defined to be the shortest path between points in the space...
flight dome cage
Butterfly zoo
A butterfly zoo, or butterfly house, is a zoo which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies. Some butterfly houses also feature other insects, spiders, scorpions, etc.- History :...
, home to numerous rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
flowers and butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
species.
The Monsanto Insectarium is open every day except Christmas and New Years days. The insectarium opens at 9:00. Closing hour depends on the season. Admission to the zoo and the insectarium is free.