- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The themes range from dragonflies to parasitoids to moths, in addition to the annual Biodiversity Museum Day and UC Davis Picnic Day. Most of the Bohart Museum open houses take place from 1 to 4 p.m. except for “Moth Night.”
The schedule:
Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 to 4 p.m.: “Thar Be Dragon (flies)”
Saturday, Dec. 5, 1 to 4 p.m.: “Keep Calm and Insect On.”
Sunday, Jan. 10 from 1 to 4 p.m.: Parasitoid Palooza II
Saturday, Feb. 13: Biodiversity Museum Day
Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: UC Davis Picnic Day
Saturday, July 30, 8 to 11 p.m.: “Celebrate Moths.”
The special weekend hours are free and open to the public. Families are encouraged to attend. The museum is located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, corner of LaRue Road and Crocker Lane, University of California, Davis.
The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, houses a global collection of nearly eight million specimens. It is also the home of the seventh largest insect collection in North America, and the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum.
Special attractions include a “live” petting zoo, featuring Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks and tarantulas. Visitors are invited to hold the insects and photograph them.
The museum's gift shop, open year around, includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, jewelry, posters, insect-collecting equipment and insect-themed candy.
The Bohart Museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The museum is closed to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and on major holidays. Admission is free.
More information on the Bohart Museum is available by contacting (530) 752-0493 or email bmuseum@ucdavis.edu. Tabatha Yang tabyang@ucdavis.edu) does public education and outreach and conducts groups tours.