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The Exhibition: structure
The exhibition is laid out in accordance with a precise teaching and scientific plan subdivided into 14 units. This modular structure allows to:
1. Make each unit separable from the next one.
2. Arrange the units so that it can be possible to invert the order of single units without altering the logical thread of the exhibition.
3. Adjust the body of the exhibition to any logistical situation.
The exhibition units are organized as follows:
1° unit: Introduction.
What insects are, where they live, their history beginning with the earliest fossil finds. Captions and enlarged pictures produced by SEM illustrate the main morphological and anatomic features of insects.
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2° unit: Coleoptera.
The most beautiful specimens that catch your eye by their form and colour, capable of winning over even extremely wary visitors. Special emphasis is given to such topics as life cycles and sexual dimorphism. A number of pictures, captions and posters together with various insect boxes containing live coleoptera coming from different places, complete the exhibition.
  
A view of the unit dedicated to beetles.
In the terrariums various species of live coleoptera are on display. One of them is the famous African goliath beetle, the biggest and the heaviest coleopteran. There are also a number of coloured beetles of different origin, stag beetles, long-horned beetles and other examples of varied families (the displayed species vary on the basis of different seasons and reproductive cycles).
  
3° unit: Lepidoptera.
One of the best developed parts of the exhibition is dedicated to butterflies, their colours and shapes. A lot of space is given to butterflies and moths, Italian and exotic ones, their life cycle, environments they live in, mimicry and so on, with different kinds of captions that help understand the exhibition. Over one hundred display boxes containing more than 3000 specimens can be divided into separate parts spaced out by glasshouses featuring live butterflies and areas expressly designed for displaying caterpillars and pupae.
  
A sample exposition of the unit dedicated to the butterflies.
It is possible to create glasshouses, small o even bigger ones, depending on the room and means available, with tropical butterflies flying around and to recreate the four stages of the butterfly life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and pupa and finally, adult.
 
Many butterfly species can be displayed live.
4° unit: Other Orders.
This unit presents other main Orders of insects, from stick insects to mantids, from stoneflies to ant-lions, from balm-crickets to dragonflies, and lastly, flies. In this unit some of the most spectacular specimens that usually make a deep impression on every visitor are displayed. Among them are giant grasshoppers, most weirdly coloured and shaped balm-crickets, spectacular praying mantids and extremely graceful tropical dragonflies. It is also possible to display insect boxes holding incredibly shaped insects such as leaf insects and various kinds of stick insects, hissing cockroaches, colourful tropical mantids, locusts and others. The whole thing is furnished with pictures and captions.
  
Exposition of the smaller Insect Orders.
The living insects exposed here are among the beautiest and the most impressive.
  
5° unit: Italian Fauna.
ver 40 insect boxes present the most well-known and peculiar Italian insect species and their range zones.
  
The entomological gases with the maps for the Italian Fauna.
6° unit: Hymenoptera and Social Insects.
Social insects are extremely important to man and to our ecosystem, you have only to think about the role played by termites, ants and bees in nature. Bees represent the utmost in social organisation among all invertebrates. This unit displays boxes as well as dioramas and a number of ant, wasp and bumble-bee nests.
  
It is possible to display anthills with South American leaf-cutter ants.
 
7° unit: Arachnids.
It is natural to include an area dedicated to arachnids in the insect exhibition since they are too often mistaken for insects. This unit therefore illustrates the differences between arachnids and insects with the help of dioramas, pictures and live animals.
  
There are terrariums displaying some of the most beautiful live spiders and scorpions among which huge South American tarantulas (like Brachipelma) and enormous African scorpions such as Pandinus imperator.
 
8° unit: Beekeeping.
One of the essential aspects of entomology in our day-to-day life. Tools for harvesting honey and all sorts of products are shown here.
 
9° unit: Silk worm breeding.
An aspect of entomology of great historical importance to our economy. Silkworm cocoons as well as curios, all kinds of products, pictures and other items are displayed in this unit.
  
A part of the exposition is dedicated to the silk worm breeding.
10° unit: Entomophagy (Insect Eating).
A curious branch of entomology never shown before at insect exhibitions that deals with eating customs of non-European countries. There are insect boxes displaying insects that are usually eaten, together with products and recipe books.
 
11° unit: Insects and stamp collecting.
Entomology related topics have often been reflected by stamp makers. This unit displays pictures with the most beautiful stamps ever issued in various countries.
  
12° unit: Biologica fight.
There are a number of display panels that illustrate cases studied to work out an alternative solution to the indiscriminate use of pesticides and other toxic substances in agriculture.
13° unit: The Entomologist.
How to identify, collect and prepare insects, an area dedicated to would-be insect collectors.
14° unit: Microscopy.
This unit is specially designed to allow visitors to enjoy some of insects features (such as butterfly wings) directly by using microscopes (see the explanatory record).
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