Keetavismaya II, an exhibition on insects — UAS, Bengaluru, Nov 29 – Dec 1, 2019

The second edition of Keetavismaya, an exhibition on insects is being organised on 29, 30 November & 1 December (9.30 AM to 6.00 PM) at the Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad Convention Center, UAS GKVK Campus Bangalore. There are no entry fees.

Insects are the oldest and most diverse group of land animals. Their long association with plants have influenced the evolution of flowers, pollination, complex plant biochemistry, the shapes and textures of all plant parts and have a significant impact on human activities such as agriculture. A few insects annoy us and can spread serious diseases like dengue. Honeybees provide a significant source of food and income while numerous other wild bees and other pollinators are critical in both natural and human-altered environments. Insects have inspired several engineering marvels such as the all terrain robot and artificial vision systems. It is not surprising that insects figure in arts, folklore, poetry, music, and other creative activities of man. The vast majority of insects however lead lives out of sight of humans. The form and modes of life of insects are extremely diverse and their fascinating lives are unknown to many. This is in contrast to better known animal groups like birds and mammals.

While there are natural history museums in the UK, Europe, and the US that provide exhibits on insects, there are few that focus on insects in India. This exhibition, is meant to provide a glimpse of this hidden and little-known but richly fascinating world of insects and is organized by the postgraduate students of the department of entomology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK campus, Bangalore. The exhibition includes posters, preserved specimens, entomophilately, art, and live insects. This exhibition also provides an opportunity for people of all ages to look at and touch insects, while also providing a space for the public to interact with entomologists. Some posters, badges and stickers will be on sale.

The highlights of the exhibition Over 60 graphic display posters and more than 3000 insect specimens which includes:

• Insects that are beautiful
• Information on Insect diversity
• Communication in insects
• Defence mechanisms in Insects
• Rare displays such as living stick insects and leaf insects along with their eggs
• Display of exotic insects like the African Goliath beetle, the South American blue morpho and  the North American monarch butterfly  
• Identify your insect: Bring any specimen or photographs and experts can help you identify them
• Fun games like ‘Find Me if You Can’ to spot camouflaged insects
• Demonstrations of honeybee intelligence
• Paintings and rare photos
• Slides showing interesting facts about insects
• Mimicry & Camouflage in insects
• Amber insect fossils 

And much more…