In agricultural settings, the word insecticide is more often used than the term insect. It has been taught and trained that insects are purely betrayers of the agricultural community and are venomous to both land outgrowths and humans. However, most of the insects had already played a significant role in the establishment of biodiversity in the pre-industrialized ecosystem that existed decades before. Insects, as pollinators, have sown the ancient seeds of novel and novel land species around the terrestrial borders. The function of insects is not limited to food production; it also includes the establishment of a stable and beneficial ecosystem. India has got its first-ever insect museum and we are here to tell you about it. Keep reading to learn more about the first insect museum in India.
First Insect Museum in India
Insects account for about three times the entire animal population and account for 90 percent of all animal species on the planet. Just a tiny percentage of this enormous population is poisonous to humans as well as grown crops, which is a reality that is mostly overlooked, causing massive problems for populations. Farmers have noticed many new species of insects that they have not seen before as a result of climate change, and they are concerned that they could become pests.
There is a need for an insect museum or an insectarium to reveal the true description of the insects that farmers identify in their fields, as well as to establish the status of identity to the diverse insect community. In this context, the Indian nation, which is agricultural land, has seen the birth of its first insect museum. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), a Coimbatore district landmark, is the proud owner of the insect museum. The museum contains insects that have been collected since the early 1990s! This insect museum was established in 2013 and was completed in 2017 for a cost of Rs. 5 crores, covering an area of approximately 6691 square meters. ft within the university premises.
About Insect Museum
Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated an insect museum at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The museum, the first of its kind, was built at TNAU’s Department of Agricultural Entomology and houses 20,000 insects from 50 species. Mr. Palaniswami, who inaugurated the museum, claimed that the study and experience that went into its development would support farmers, scholars, students, and the general public.
“Coming from an agriculture perspective, I’ve seen farmers worried about insects wreaking havoc on different crops,” Mr. Palaniswami said that the museum would help farmers learn more about insects, both beneficial and detrimental to farming. Speaking at the case, Minister of Agriculture R. Doraikkannu claimed that insects were responsible for approximately 20% of crop loss in the state and that the museum would be helpful to farmers. Under the theme ‘Bugs Are Kings,’ the museum exhibits insects as preserved objects, live specimens representing their life cycle, photographs, videos, and models of their behavior, and habitat. The right wall of the 6,691 sqft display area includes insects in five sections: insect diversity, insect genetics, beneficial insects, insect and plants, and cultural entomology. The museum’s left wall features selected collections of 27 insect orders, as well as their maps.
The university’s entomology department contributed to the museum’s collection of over 80,000 insects from more than 50 species. The specimens and models in the gallery are organized into five categories: insect and plants, insect biology, insect diversity, insect beneficial function, and cultural entomology. The insect descriptions are also digitally reflected in the museum. The inclusion of a ramp solely for mentally disabled mates is much appreciated.
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Information on Coimbatore’s Insect Museum
Insect-related videos are seen on the walls via television. The museum also has three touch screen gadgets with information on insect history, insect histories, and insects around you. A ramp allows physically disabled people to access the museum. The museum, which is sponsored by the Tamil Nadu government, has an electronic ticketing system for visitors.
The inauguration was attended by Minister for Forest Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, Deputy Speaker Pollachi V. Jayaraman, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government Gagandeep Singh Bedi, District Collector T.N. Hariharan, and TNAU Vice-Chancellor K. Ramasamy.
Timings
- 10.00 am to 4.30 pm on all days
- Wednesday and Sunday holiday
Entry Fee
- Rs. 30/-
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