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Attention: News, Education, Calendar Editors
Photos: Photos are available in conjunction with "Beetle Mania." Download information is at the end of the release.
When: Sunday, Aug. 15, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Where: NU State Museum, Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine Streets (map at www1.unl.edu/tour/MORR)
Contact: Kathy French, Education Coordinator, NU State Museum, (402) 472-6647, [email protected]
UNL news Web site: http://newsroom.unl.edu
'Sunday Scientist' program celebrates beetles, other insects Aug. 15
Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 3, 2010 -- Did you know that one of every four living things on the planet is a
beetle? There are more than 350,000 species of beetles known and many more remain to be discovered
and studied.
"Beetle Mania" will take over Morrill Hall when the University of Nebraska State Museum
presents a program for children and families that celebrates the beauty and diversity of beetles and other
insects 1:30-4:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with scientists and ask
questions about the insects they collect and study from across the globe for purposes of education and
biodiversity research. This program is part of the Museum's monthly "Sunday with a Scientist" series.
Morrill Hall is south of 14th and Vine Streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus (map at
http://www1.unl.edu/tour/MORR). Museum Sunday hours are 1:30-4:30 p.m.
"Beetle Mania," will be led by faculty and staff of the State Museum's Division of Entomology and
UNL's Department of Entomology. The scientists will showcase a small selection of the most colorful and
striking insects from the entomology research collections, which contain more than 2 million specimens.
Beetles collected from all over the world will be on display, including large tropical rhinoceros beetles,
metallic wood boring beetles, long horn beetles, stag beetles, and more. Other insects on display will
include giant silk moths, metallic blue morpho butterflies and giant spiders. There will also be information
on Nebraska's endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle and present efforts to aid in their conservation.
Children are encouraged to bring a "backyard bug" of their own to the museum for a scientist to
identify. All insects must be in stored in closed containers and may be alive or dead.
(more)
321 Canfield Administration Bldg. / P.O. Box 880424 / Lincoln, NE 68588-0424
(402) 472-2211 FAX (402) 472-7825 / http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/
'Sunday Scientist' program celebrates beetles, other insects Aug. 15, Page 2
The State Museum's Division of Entomology research collections were begun in 1887. The
collections are comprised of approximately 2 million pinned, fluid-preserved, papered, and slide-mounted
insects and arachnids, including the U.S. National Collection of Scarab Beetles from the Smithsonian
Institution that is part of an open-ended, off-site enhancement loan. The collections rank in the top 10
university research collections in the United States. Research programs focus on the biodiversity of
neotropical scarabaeoid beetles from Central and South America. The lab, known as Team Scarab, is
internationally recognized for its scarab beetle research and publications.
For more information, visit the division's website
www.museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/index.htm. A special Web page, "Scarabs for Kids," was
created in May to help youth discover more about beetles:
www.museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Scarabs-for-Kids/scarabs.html.
Sunday with a Scientist is a series of presentations that highlight the work of museum scientists
and those from other institutions, while educating children and families on a variety of topics related to
science and natural history. Presenters will share scientific information in a fun and informal way through
talks, demonstrations, activities or by conducting their science on site. Sunday with a Scientist programs
are 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Morrill Hall on the third Sunday of each month through December.
Upcoming Sunday with a Scientist Topics: Sept. 19 -- Archeology; Oct. 17 -- Ancient People;
Nov. 21 -- Native Americans; Dec. 19 -- Nebraska Amphibians.
For updates on the Sunday with a Scientist schedule through the year, visit www.museum.unl.edu.
Morrill Hall is offering free museum admission Thursdays from 4:30 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 26;
however, regular admission to Mueller Planetarium fulldome shows will apply. After Aug. 26, Morrill
Hall will continue to be open until 8 p.m. Thursdays, but beginning Sept. 2, regular admission will be
charged.
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'Sunday Scientist' program celebrates beetles, other insects Aug. 15, Page 3
The University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MondayWednesday and Friday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is
$5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to
two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. There is an
additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free. For further information, telephone the museum at
(402) 472-3779, visit its website or Mueller Planetarium's website, www.spacelaser.com, or contact Kathy
French, Education Coordinator, at (402) 472-6647 or [email protected].
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Writer: Dana Ludvik, Public Relations Coordinator, NU State Museum, (402) 472-3779, [email protected]
Photo Downloads:
"Sunday with a Scientist" logo
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100211swslogo.jpg
"Team Scarab" logo
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100803teamscarablogo.jpg
Members of "Team Scarab" team collecting in Honduras. Pictured left to right are Federico Ocampo, Andrew
Smith, Mary Liz Jameson and M.J. Paulsen (Photo by Brett Ratcliffe)
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100803teamscarab.jpg
Nebraska's largest stag beetle (Photo by S. Spomer)
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/downloadables/photo/20100803stagbeetle.jpg