Ento-musings from the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Scorplings at the Explorium

A baby scorpion is called a "scorpling." I just learned this today... because our mamma scorpion just gave birth to about a dozen of them! They will ride on her back for a few weeks until they can live on their own:


The proud mamma is one of ten emperor scorpions that are on display at our new Small World exhibit at the Lexington Explorium (AKA the Lexington Children's Museum). Small World--a partnership between UK Entomology and the Lexington Explorium--is a permanent entomology exhibit featuring several live arthropods, including scorpions, tarantulas, darkling beetles, aquatic insects, and lots of other cool things. It just opened in April, and we are very proud of it. The exhibit is open Tuesday-Sunday (and Mondays in the summer) and admission is included with a ticket to the Explorium. Even more fun: every Saturday is Small World Saturday, when representatives from UK Entomology will be on-hand from 10am-1pm to answer questions about the exhibit, and about entomology in general. And come early, because feedin' time on Saturday is 10am... if you're lucky, you might get to throw a cricket into the scorpion cage!

So come visit us this Saturday, June 11, from 11am-2pm, and don't forget to offer our mamma scorpion "congratulations" (and you'll need to say it twelve times... one for each scorpling). Click here for Explorium directions and ticket information.

Read more about our new Small World exhibit: http://goo.gl/GW0q9