This exhibition focuses on arthropods - the animal group that includes centipedes, crabs, spiders and insects.
Eight out of ten living animals are arthropods and there are more species of insects than all other animals put together. Here you will see why arthropods are such a diverse and successful group.
Arthropods are extremely adaptable animals. Different members of the group can feed on almost anything from blood to paper, using specially adapted limbs and mouthparts.
Another factor contributing to the success of insects, is that young and adult animals may have completely different lifestyles. Caterpillars and adult butterflies, for example, have different diets and therefore do not compete with each other for food supplies. The immature form is transformed into an adult during the process called metamorphosis and the exhibit 'Changes' shows this on fim.
Many arthropods build nests, none of which are more spectacular than those of the termites. A lifesize model of a termite mound with its underground nest and giant tower, is at the centre of the gallery. If you would like to see some live insects living in complex societies, there is a nest of fungus-growing ants in 'Insect societies'.
To protect themselves, some arthropods have evolved a fearsome array of weapons. A scorpion, for example, has claws, an armoured body and a poisonous sting to defend itself. Other arthropods have more subtle methods - they use camouflage or coloured disguises.
Spiders and mites belong to an arthropod group known as arachnids. Although less familiar than spiders, mites are more economically important. Some mites help enrich the soil and kill pests while others attack crops or cause debilitating diseases.
Another group, the crustaceans, includes lobsters, shrimps and crabs. In the sea, crustaceans are a major source of food for many fishes. Krill, the collective name for small shrimp-like crustaceans, is the sole source of food for baleen whales. Just in case you imagine that your home is free of arthropod intruders, pay a visit to 1 Crawley House to see how closely arthropods share our lives.
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