Bizarre Insects at the Moravian Museum

The exhibition Bizarre Insects in the ground floor of the Dietrichstein Palace on Zelný trh in Brno presents a diverse and fascinating world of insects from February 13 to September 27, 2026. Visitors will see preserved butterflies and beetles, as well as live insects – grasshoppers, stick insects, tarantulas, and cockroaches kept in aquariums. Among the live exhibits is, for example, the devil stick insect from Peru, which scientists described only 20 years ago. The exhibition is complemented by nearly 200 large-format macro photographs of insects from around the world, created using focus-stacking technology that combines hundreds of images at different focal planes. One of the main themes is the comparison of exotic species with domestic fauna – alongside giant tropical titans and goliath beetles, visitors will also see the stag beetle, the largest beetle in the Czech Republic. The exhibition presents insects not only as subjects of scientific study, but also as cultural symbols in mythology and art – from sacred scarabs in ancient Egypt to Ferda the Ant. Children can try interactive elements, while adults will appreciate the aesthetics of the specimens and large-format photographs. The exhibition was created by entomologist Jana Nerudová from the Moravian Museum, with Jiří Procházka as co-author. The exhibition is accompanied by a popular science book Bizarre Insects (Edika publishing house).