The Florida Museum of Natural History ( FLMNH ) is Florida 's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum . Its main facilities are located at 3215 Hull Road on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville .
126-624: The main public exhibit facility, Powell Hall and the attached McGuire Center, is located in the Cultural Plaza, which it shares with the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art and the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts . The main research facility and former public exhibits building, Dickinson Hall, is located on the east side of campus at the corner of Museum Road and Newell Drive. On April 18, 2012,
252-574: A chrysalis , has a hard skin, usually with no cocoon. Once the pupa has completed its metamorphosis, a sexually mature adult emerges. Lepidopterans first appeared in fossil record in the Triassic - Jurassic boundary and have coevolved with flowering plants since the angiosperm boom in the Middle / Late Cretaceous . They show many variations of the basic body structure that have evolved to gain advantages in lifestyle and distribution. Recent estimates suggest
378-514: A larva , a pupa , and an imago or adult. The larvae are commonly called caterpillars , and the pupae of moths encapsulated in silk are called cocoons , while the uncovered pupae of butterflies are called chrysalides . Unless the species reproduces year-round, a butterfly or moth may enter diapause , a state of dormancy that allows the insect to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Males usually start eclosion (emergence) earlier than females and peak in numbers before females. Both of
504-460: A permanent collection and an array of temporary exhibitions. The Harn's permanent collection totals more than 11,300 objects, which are focused on Asian , African , modern and contemporary art , as well as photography . The museum sponsors international and Florida-centric exhibitions. The university sponsors educational programs at the museum including films, lectures , interactive activities, and school and family offerings. In October 2005,
630-525: A 9-foot (2.7 m)-tall steel sculpture of an extinct Terror Bird, Titanis walleri . This exhibit, is also in Powell Hall, the South Florida Hall consists of ten exhibit galleries that occupy a total of 6,050 square feet (562 m). The sequence of galleries is designed to give visitors a variety of experiences, including 3-D immersion environments and more focused learning centers. Visitors enter
756-505: A Calusa leader's house during a political ceremony. Subdued lights and sounds of singing add drama to a scene of six human sculptures, based on known individuals from historic Spanish documents. The setting is the Calusa capital town of Calos, about the year 1564. A distant chief is visiting the Calusa leader and his close associates. Interpretive panels explain topics such as Calusa politics, social organization, and spiritual beliefs. Artifacts from
882-712: A change in scale shows larger-than-life pitcher plants . The river scene represents 700 years ago on the banks of the Apalachicola River , with a 360-degree wraparound forest mural. There is also a Native American trading scene from c. 1300 AD showing an exchange between peoples of the Fort Walton culture and the Etowah . Northwest Florida rivers are filled with fossilized remains of now-extinct vertebrate animal species, and examples of these are featured in this exhibit along with many archaeological and ethnographic artifacts from
1008-471: A collecting focus more work from a diverse range of photographers has been acquired. A strong point for the collection is the works of Jerry Uelsmann , who established the University of Florida as a center for the study of photography. The collection also contains the works of many others who either taught or were students at the University of Florida. Among others, the following artists are represented in
1134-467: A commitment of $ 10 million to the University of Florida to fund the addition of a new wing dedicated to Asian art. Opened in 2012 on the northwest side of the museum, the 26,000-square-foot addition features an Asian art gallery, curatorial offices, and art storage and conservation space for the Asian collections. The expansion included an outdoor Asian garden to complement the new wing. The founding director of
1260-463: A cross-section of a sea turtle nest and coastal water sounds. The final exhibit in this section is a floor-to-ceiling curved lagoon case, depicting how different sessile intertidal species stratify their habitats in the tidal zone. Jars with preserved specimens from the Ichthyology collection demonstrate the diversity of bony fishes from this habitat. This garden is located next to the west side of
1386-758: A divergence of a species into different morphs. A good example is the Indian white admiral Limenitis procris , which has five forms, each geographically separated from the other by large mountain ranges. An even more dramatic showcase of geographical polymorphism is the Apollo butterfly ( Parnassius apollo ). Because the Apollos live in small local populations, thus having no contact with each other, coupled with their strong stenotopic nature and weak migration ability, interbreeding between populations of one species practically does not occur; by this, they form over 600 different morphs, with
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#17328481128411512-406: A few that have reduced wings or are wingless. Mating and the laying of eggs is normally performed near or on host plants for the larvae . Like most other insects, butterflies and moths are holometabolous , meaning they undergo complete metamorphosis . The larvae are commonly called caterpillars , and are completely different from their adult moth or butterfly forms, having a cylindrical body with
1638-458: A forensic identification of endangered species; as a reference collection for carnivore feeding studies i.e. owl pellet and scat analysis; a comparative material for students and faculty of zoo archeology and vertebrate paleontology (post-cranial skeletal collection). As part of a large university, the uses of the collection are diverse including applications in biomedical studies, wildlife dentistry, and even studies of environmental contaminants. As
1764-492: A form of acoustic courtship, or attract mates using sound or vibration such as the polka-dot wasp moth, Syntomeida epilais . Adaptations include undergoing one seasonal generation, two or even more, called voltinism (Univoltism, bivoltism, and multivism, respectively). Most lepidopterans in temperate climates are univoltine, while in tropical climates most have two seasonal broods. Some others may take advantage of any opportunity they can get, and mate continuously throughout
1890-718: A gift to fund an 18,000-square-foot addition. The addition, named the Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion, opened in October 2005. The Cofrin Pavilion features 6,500 feet of exhibition space for international contemporary art, the Camellia Court Café, an outdoor plaza and the Goforth Learning Center, which is used for meetings, programs and educational activities. On February 6, 2008, Dr. and Mrs. David A. Cofrin made
2016-419: A miniature diorama of a fishing village captures the essence of Calusa fishing. Artifacts include 1,000-year-old palm-fiber fishing nets, Calusa net-making tools, a wide range of shell tools, and an ancient wooden canoe paddle. The dominant feature of this gallery is a large picture window and view of an outdoor mound. Sculptures of a Calusa family stand on the mound next to a palm-thatched house, suggesting that
2142-601: A northwest Florida cave, modeled after one found in Marianna Caverns State Park. There is information about minerals, hydrology , cave life and the fossils found in the cave's limestone layers. The pitcher plant bog exhibit was modeled after bog communities around Eglin Air Force Base . Seepage bogs are characterized by saturated, highly acidic, sandy soil and are dominated by low growing plant species, such as grasses and carnivorous plants. A related exhibit with
2268-471: A number of micropyles , or tiny funnel-shaped openings at one end, the purpose of which is to allow sperm to enter and fertilize the egg. Butterfly and moth eggs vary greatly in size between species, but they are all either spherical or ovate. The egg stage lasts a few weeks in most butterflies, but eggs laid prior to winter, especially in temperate regions , go through diapause , and hatching may be delayed until spring. Other butterflies may lay their eggs in
2394-466: A pair of legs on each segment. The thorax is also lined with many spiracles on both the mesothorax and metathorax, except for a few aquatic species, which instead have a form of gills . The abdomen, which is less sclerotized than the thorax, consists of 10 segments with membranes in between, allowing for articulated movement. The sternum, on the first segment, is small in some families and is completely absent in others. The last two or three segments form
2520-487: A population of a particular species. Polymorphism occurs both at specific level with heritable variation in the overall morphological adaptations of individuals, as well as in certain specific morphological or physiological traits within a species. Environmental polymorphism, in which traits are not inherited, is often termed as polyphenism, which in Lepidoptera is commonly seen in the form of seasonal morphs, especially in
2646-431: A population, but also between the sexes as sexual dimorphism , between geographically separated populations in geographical polymorphism , and between generations flying at different seasons of the year ( seasonal polymorphism or polyphenism ). In some species, the polymorphism is limited to one sex, typically the female. This often includes the phenomenon of mimicry when mimetic morphs fly alongside nonmimetic morphs in
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#17328481128412772-617: A primitive-toothed whale in the Eocene, a pig-like, extinct mammal from the Oligocene, a Miocene rhinoceros being attacked by two saber-toothed, cat-like animals, a 15-foot (4.6 m)-tall sloth standing on its hind legs in the Pliocene area and a 500,000-year-old jaguar chasing a peccary from the Pleistocene epoch. The time periods also include artwork by paleoartists from around the world, including
2898-482: A separate organ for mating, and an external duct that carries the sperm from the male. The abdomen of the caterpillar has four pairs of prolegs, normally located on the third to sixth segments of the abdomen, and a separate pair of prolegs by the anus, which have a pair of tiny hooks called crotchets. These aid in gripping and walking, especially in species that lack many prolegs (e. g. larvae of Geometridae ). In some basal moths, these prolegs may be on every segment of
3024-460: A state-of-the-art Molecular Systematics and Evolutionary Genetics lab. Located in the University of Florida Cultural Plaza, Powell Hall was constructed in 1995. It serves, along with the connected McGuire Center, as the main exhibits and public programs facility. Powell Hall was partially funded from a gift of $ 3 million from two University of Florida alumni couples; Bob and Ann and Steve and Carol Powell of Fort Lauderdale, and with matching funds from
3150-409: A variety of plants e. g., hepialids and some nymphalids ) while most lay their eggs near or on the host plant on which the larvae feed. The number of eggs laid may vary from only a few to several thousand. The females of both butterflies and moths select the host plant instinctively, and primarily, by chemical cues. The eggs are derived from materials ingested as a larva and in some species, from
3276-422: A very short period of time. Many moth and butterfly species are of economic interest by virtue of their role as pollinators, the silk in their cocoon, or for extermination as pest species. The term Lepidoptera was used in 1746 by Carl Linnaeus in his Fauna Svecica . The word is derived from Greek λεπίς lepís , gen. λεπίδος lepídos (" scale ") and πτερόν ("wing"). Sometimes,
3402-425: A virtual tour for prospective visitors. The Harn Museum of Art is named in honor of Samuel Peebles Harn (1893–1957), whose widow, three daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren made the founding gift to UF for the museum’s construction. The family pledged more than $ 3 million for the construction of an arts museum in 1983. The Harn Museum of Art opened September 20, 1990. In 2000, the family of David A. Cofrin made
3528-453: A well-developed head, mandible mouth parts, three pairs of thoracic legs and from none up to five pairs of prolegs . As they grow, these larvae change in appearance, going through a series of stages called instars . Once fully matured, the larva develops into a pupa . A few butterflies and many moth species spin a silk casing or cocoon for protection prior to pupating, while others do not, instead going underground. A butterfly pupa, called
3654-457: A wingspan greater than 25 centimetres (9.8 in), such as the Queen Alexandra's birdwing and Atlas moth . Lepidopterans undergo a four-stage life cycle : egg ; larva or caterpillar ; pupa or chrysalis ; and imago (plural: imagines) / adult and show many variations of the basic body structure, which give these animals advantages for diverse lifestyles and environments. The head
3780-439: A wooden panel with a painted alligator , wooden figurines of animals and humans, ornaments made from precious metals, and numerous other carved wooden and bone objects. Interpretive panels discuss South Florida sites of special significance, including the remarkable "wet sites" that can yield detailed information when excavated with care and when recovered objects are appropriately treated. A multimedia interactive further explains
3906-478: A year; however, some species may take up to 3 years to develop, and exceptional examples like Gynaephora groenlandica take as long as seven years. The larval stage is where the feeding and growing stages occur, and the larvae periodically undergo hormone-induced ecdysis , developing further with each instar , until they undergo the final larval-pupal molt. The larvae of both butterflies and moths exhibit mimicry to deter potential predators. Some caterpillars have
Florida Museum of Natural History - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-525: Is "to make scientific investigations toward the sustained development of natural resources and a greater appreciation of human cultural heritage". In the over 100 years of operation, the Florida Museum of Natural History has been housed in several buildings, from the Seagle Building in downtown Gainesville, to the three halls on campus and one off-site research facility. Dickinson Hall, opened in 1971,
4158-791: Is a 5,000 sq ft (460 m) hall, also located in Powell Hall, which has hosted the Megalodon Exhibit, Hatching the Past, Chocolate, Tibet Exhibit and Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex and Inside Africa, both from the Field Museum in Chicago, Il. As of February 2019 exhibits include Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs and Whale People: Protectors of the Sea. From October 7, 2023 to April 21, 2024
4284-496: Is advertised using bright red, orange, black, or white warning colors. The toxic chemicals in plants are often evolved specifically to prevent them from being eaten by insects. Insects, in turn, develop countermeasures or make use of these toxins for their own survival. This "arms race" has led to the coevolution of insects and their host plants. No form of wing is externally visible on the larva, but when larvae are dissected, developing wings can be seen as disks, which can be found on
4410-477: Is also a growing collection of Latin American art from Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Guatemala, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. The Photography collection ranges from the 19th century to contemporary works, with the mediums included going from daguerreotypes to large-scale color prints. The collections' origins began through the acquisition of noted photographers such as Robert Frank and Irving Penn , but as photography became
4536-644: Is an art museum at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida . It is in the UF Cultural Plaza area in the southwest part of campus. The Harn is a 112,800-square-foot facility, making it one of the largest university art museums in the South . This includes 40,400 square feet of exhibition space, 5 garden spaces, a 250-seat auditorium, a museum store, a study center, a café, and classroom spaces. The museum has
4662-423: Is an internal parasite of the coccid Kermes species. Many species have been recorded as breeding in natural materials or refuse such as owl pellets, bat caves, honeycombs or diseased fruit. As of 2007, there were roughly 174,250 lepidopteran species described, with butterflies and skippers estimated to comprise around 17,950, and moths making up the rest. The vast majority of Lepidoptera are to be found in
4788-747: Is an unsorted backlog of about 25,000 lots, about 250,000 specimens. Most of the uncatalogued and backlog material was acquired through transfer of the important collections previously housed at the National Marine Fisheries Service biological laboratories in Miami , Pascagoula, MS , and the University of Miami . The collection currently contains primary and secondary types of more than 325 taxa of freshwater and marine fishes. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art 29°38′13″N 82°22′12″W / 29.63694°N 82.37000°W / 29.63694; -82.37000 The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
4914-459: Is designed so that visitors move through different habitats as if they were traveling westward in the Florida panhandle. First there is hammock forest with a highly detailed, 25-foot (7.6 m)-high wrap-around mural featuring 50 different plants and animals located from high in the trees to under logs on the forest floor. The cave is a continuing exhibit from Dickinson Hall, and shows the inside of
5040-535: Is found in the Arctic Circle in northeastern Yakutia , at an altitude of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level. In the Himalayas , various Apollo species such as Parnassius epaphus have been recorded to occur up to an altitude of 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) above sea level. Some lepidopteran species exhibit symbiotic , phoretic , or parasitic lifestyles, inhabiting the bodies of organisms rather than
5166-500: Is located on Museum Road. It currently houses over 25 million objects and artifacts in its collections, which include ichthyology , paleontology (both vertebrate and invertebrate), botany , paleobotany and palynology , herpetology , malacology , mammalogy , ornithology , environmental archaeology , historical archaeology , archeology of the Caribbean and Florida, and the ethnography of Latin and North Americas. It also houses
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5292-433: Is lost in current butterflies and moths. Instead, all the digestive enzymes, other than initial digestion, are immobilized at the surface of the midgut cells. In larvae, long-necked and stalked goblet cells are found in the anterior and posterior midgut regions, respectively. In insects, the goblet cells excrete positive potassium ions, which are absorbed from leaves ingested by the larvae. Most butterflies and moths display
5418-401: Is made of three fused segments, the prothorax , mesothorax , and metathorax , each with a pair of legs. The first segment contains the first pair of legs. In some males of the butterfly family Nymphalidae , the forelegs are greatly reduced and are not used for walking or perching. The three pairs of legs are covered with scales. Lepidoptera also have olfactory organs on their feet, which aid
5544-671: Is quite extensive. Since 1992, the mammalogy collection at Dickinson Hall has undergone rapid growth and expansion. Between 1979 and 2007, the collection has doubled, increasing from 14,000 to over 30,000 specimens. Since 2002, the Florida Museum has acquired the University of Miami's cetacean collection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's manatee collection. The mammalogy collection has roughly 30,618 cataloged specimens and approximately 1,000 non-cataloged specimens. It consists primarily of skins and skulls, although entire skeletons have been prepared from all specimens acquired since 1992. There are 205 large tanned skins and 4,500, roughly 16% of
5670-486: Is transferred to the rest of the body when conditions are unfavorable. In lepidopteran species, hemolymph is circulated through the veins in the wings by some form of pulsating organ, either by the heart or by the intake of air into the trachea . Air is taken in through spiracles along the sides of the abdomen and thorax supplying the trachea with oxygen as it goes through the lepidopteran's respiratory system . Three different tracheaes supply and diffuse oxygen throughout
5796-486: Is where many sensing organs and the mouth parts are found. Like the adult, the larva also has a toughened, or sclerotized head capsule. Here, two compound eyes , and chaetosema , raised spots or clusters of sensory bristles unique to Lepidoptera, occur, though many taxa have lost one or both of these spots. The antennae have a wide variation in form among species and even between different sexes. The antennae of butterflies are usually filiform and shaped like clubs, those of
5922-468: The American Institute of Architects 's Florida chapter placed Dickinson Hall on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Florida Museum of Natural History / Formerly Florida Museum of Natural Sciences. Powell Hall's permanent public exhibits focus on the flora, fauna, fossils, and historic peoples of the state of Florida. The museum does not charge for admission to most exhibits;
6048-476: The Eocene epoch, when Florida was underwater. Visitors travel through the Eocene , Oligocene , Miocene , Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs and see Florida's first land animals, evolving grasslands and savannahs and the land bridge between North and South America that formed about 3 million years ago. The exhibit ends with the arrival of the first humans in Florida near the end of the Pleistocene. Over 90 percent of
6174-718: The National Endowment for the Humanities and from the Florida state government. In 1996, the Randell family gave 53 acres (210,000 m) of a 240-acre (0.97 km), internationally significant Pineland Site Complex in Lee County to the University of Florida, which the museum now operates as the Randell Research Center. This research and education program is an extension of the museum's Southwest Florida Project and "Year of
6300-709: The Neolithic period to contemporary works. The mediums in this collection are ceramics, jades , metalwork, stone sculptures, paintings, and prints. This collection contains over 2,000 works displaying a diverse range of art. It features works from India, Japan, and China, among many other Asian countries. The works in the Contemporary collection ranges from 1945 to the present day, with the mediums included being paintings, photography, multi-media, installation , and film. This collection contains almost 1,500 items from major contemporary art movements and from emerging artists around
6426-501: The 20th century. We explore the significance of maritime adaptation as a basis for social and political complexity. Included are topics such as fish, nets, native and post-contact fishing techniques, watercraft, and waterworks. Visitors will learn about the remarkable engineering endeavors of the Calusa, who constructed large canals across southwest Florida; and the long-lived net-fishing tradition. Interactive multimedia stations illustrate topics such as net making and cordage manufacture, and
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#17328481128416552-540: The African collection ranges from the 5th century BCE to the 21st century. The mediums found in this collection range through wood sculpture, textiles, ceramics, leatherwork, beadwork, metalwork, and paintings. The collection is focused on West African art, but contains works from different ethnic groups from West, Central, South, and East Africa. An early and important part of the collection were wooden sculptures, in particular masks and figures. The Asian collection ranges from
6678-669: The Changing Gallery hosted Antarctic Dinosaurs , also from the Field Museum. With the exception of the Lepidoptera collection, located in the McGuire Center, almost all other research collections are located in Dickinson Hall. This collection, unlike the rest of the museum's collections, is housed at the McGuire Center. This department is relatively new when compared to the other collections and departments although their research
6804-613: The Harn Museum of Art was Budd Harris Bishop, who was previously at the Columbus Museum of Art . He joined in 1987 and selected the architect, hired staff and significantly built up the collection during his tenure. Bishop served as director through 1998. Rebecca Nagy served as museum director for 16 years until her retirement in 2018. In July 2018, Lee Anne Chesterfield (from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ) began serving as
6930-463: The Harn Museum's director. The original architecture for the Harn Museum was designed by Kha Le-Huu, a native of South Vietnam and a 1982 architecture alumni of the University of Florida. Le-Huu reportedly designed the building to include buddhist sensibilities in the entrance garden along with featuring his contemporary aesthetic for geometric elements including use of the tetrahedron . Kha Le-Huu & Partners of Orlando , Florida also designed
7056-596: The Harn expanded by more than 18,000 square feet (1,700 m ) with the opening of the Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion, which includes new educational and meeting areas and the Camellia Court Cafe, the first eatery for visitors of the Cultural Plaza. In August 2021, it was announced that it would be expanding with a new wing of 20,000 square-feet. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums . UF offers
7182-458: The Indian" archeology/education project. In 2008, the Randell Research Center completed a two-year program to plant more than 800 native trees to replace ones destroyed in the 2004 hurricanes Charley and Frances. In 2000, William W. McGuire , then CEO of UnitedHealth Group , gave a $ 4.2 million gift to establish the William W. and Nadine M. McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. This gift
7308-414: The McGuire Center. The Florida Wildflower Council appropriated funds from the Florida wildflower license tag revenue in order to fund this garden, the accompanying brochure, and a wildflower and butterfly display in the Florida Museum of Natural History. The display shows the life cycles of four butterflies, and depicts how the plants they use change in appearance over the four seasons. The Changing Gallery
7434-571: The North America and the second highest by the ranking National Center by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Since that survey was completed, the 65,000 lot University of Miami collection was transferred and is currently being integrated into complete collection. The collection itself contains more than 197,000 cataloged lots of which there are 2.15 million specimens, representing more than 7,000 species. In addition, there
7560-424: The abdominal prolegs, degenerate, while others such as the legs and wings undergo growth. After finding a suitable place, the animal sheds its last larval cuticle, revealing the pupal cuticle underneath. Depending on the species, the pupa may be covered in a silk cocoon, attached to different types of substrates, buried in the ground, or may not be covered at all. Features of the imago are externally recognizable in
7686-490: The ability to inflate parts of their heads to appear snake-like. Many have false eye-spots to enhance this effect. Some caterpillars have special structures called osmeteria (family Papilionidae ), which are exposed to produce smelly chemicals used in defense. Host plants often have toxic substances in them, and caterpillars are able to sequester these substances and retain them into the adult stage. This helps make them unpalatable to birds and other predators. Such unpalatability
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#17328481128417812-536: The additional wing for Asian art, completed in 2011. The Harn Museum features several outdoor gardens including an Asian Water Garden and an Asian Rock Garden designed by Hoichi Kurisu of Kurisu International. The Arts in Medicine (AIM) program at the University of Florida works together with patients to generate new patterns for the zen rock garden as a form of therapy at the Harn Museum. Two additional gardens, by landscape designer Aaron Lee Wiener, are viewable from
7938-442: The anterior region of the foregut has been modified to form a pharyngeal sucking pump as they need it for the food they eat, which are for the most part liquids. An esophagus follows and leads to the posterior of the pharynx and in some species forms a form of crop. The midgut is short and straight, with the hindgut being longer and coiled. Ancestors of lepidopteran species, stemming from Hymenoptera , had midgut ceca, although this
8064-512: The body, while prolegs may be completely absent in other groups, which are more adapted to boring and living in sand (e. g., Prodoxidae and Nepticulidae , respectively). The wings, head, and parts of the thorax and abdomen of Lepidoptera are covered with minute scales, a feature from which the order derives its name. Most scales are lamellar , or blade-like, and attached with a pedicel, while other forms may be hair-like or specialized as secondary sexual characteristics. The lumen or surface of
8190-454: The butterfly families of Nymphalidae and Pieridae . An Old World pierid butterfly, the common grass yellow ( Eurema hecabe ) has a darker summer adult morph, triggered by a long day exceeding 13 hours in duration, while the shorter diurnal period of 12 hours or less induces a paler morph in the postmonsoon period. Polyphenism also occurs in caterpillars, an example being the peppered moth, Biston betularia . Geographical isolation causes
8316-648: The butterfly in "tasting" or "smelling" out its food. In the larval form there are 3 pairs of true legs, with up to 11 pairs of abdominal legs (usually eight) and hooklets, called apical crochets. The two pairs of wings are found on the middle and third segments, or mesothorax and metathorax , respectively. In the more recent genera, the wings of the second segment are much more pronounced, although some more primitive forms have similarly sized wings of both segments. The wings are covered in scales arranged like shingles, which form an extraordinary variety of colors and patterns. The mesothorax has more powerful muscles to propel
8442-559: The card indices in the Natural History Museum (London) and the National Museum of Natural History (Washington), and partly on estimates: Lepidoptera are morphologically distinguished from other orders principally by the presence of scales on the external parts of the body and appendages, especially the wings . Butterflies and moths vary in size from microlepidoptera only a few millimeters long, to conspicuous animals with
8568-453: The collection is the result of a long-term cooperative effort with the U.S. National Biological Service 's Sirenia research project, Marine Mammal Stranding Network, researchers David and Melba Caldwell, and Marineland of Florida . Other major collections that have been acquired and/or cataloged over the past 15 years include: Average growth rate of the collection between 1989 and 1994 is 640 specimens per year, and 800 specimens per year for
8694-450: The collection, has been preserved in fluid. The collection is preponderated by small mammals, primarily rodents and bats, from the southeastern US, the Caribbean, Latin America, South-America and 2,600 specimens from Pakistan. An important component of the mammalogy collection is the marine mammal collection, consisting of 310 manatee, dolphin and over five hundred whales. The large size of
8820-403: The concern for Florida's environment increases, so does the monitoring of habitats and species by state and federal biologists, resulting in an increased interest in the historical and recent distributions of mammals in Florida by a variety of state and federal agencies. The Florida Museum of Natural History ichthyological collection was ranked as the tenth most important fish specimen resource in
8946-603: The cultural and natural history of the region. Beyond the panels is an orientation area, large enough for docents and teachers to gather a small group and introduce the exhibit. Interpretive panels preview the content and themes of the hall, augmented by a collage mural of south Florida people and environments. Visitors walk onto a wooden boardwalk into a full-scale re-creation of a southwest Florida mangrove forest and sea grass estuary. The boardwalk passes through mangrove trees, mudflats, and simulated water. Insect, bird, and water sounds combine with slow changes in lighting to capture
9072-480: The environment. Coprophagous pyralid moth species, called sloth moths , such as Bradipodicola hahneli and Cryptoses choloepi , are unusual in that they are exclusively found inhabiting the fur of sloths , mammals found in Central and South America . Two species of Tinea moths have been recorded as feeding on horny tissue and have been bred from the horns of cattle. The larva of Zenodochium coccivorella
9198-655: The exceptions are the Butterfly Rainforest and certain traveling exhibits. The museum's collections were first used for teaching at Florida Agriculture College in Lake City in the 1800s, and were relocated to the campus of the University of Florida in 1906. The museum was chartered as the state's official natural history museum by the Florida Legislature in 1917. Formerly known as the Florida State Museum ,
9324-453: The exhibit through a re-created scene of a Calusa fishing village as it may have looked about 500 years ago. A young Calusa boy carries home a shark on his shoulder, and behind him lies the village and view toward the Gulf of Mexico . Just past the village are four large glass wall panels depicting southwest Florida Indian art and environments. These images suggest the richness and complexity of both
9450-561: The exhibit's 500 fossils are real, and many were found within 100 miles (160 km) of Gainesville. The entrance to the hall showcases six fossil shark jaws, ranging in height from 2–9 feet. The exhibition begins with five extinction events described in dioramas that lead visitors onto the Florida Platform at about 66 million years ago, also known as the Dawn of the Age of Mammals . Displays include
9576-477: The external parts of the species' sex organs. The genitalia of Lepidoptera are highly varied and are often the only means of differentiating between species. Male genitals include a valva , which is usually large, as it is used to grasp the female during mating. Female genitalia include three distinct sections. The females of basal moths have only one sex organ, which is used for copulation and as an ovipositor , or egg-laying organ. About 98% of moth species have
9702-469: The family Micropterigidae . The larvae, called caterpillars , have a toughened head capsule. Caterpillars lack the proboscis and have separate chewing mouthparts . These mouthparts, called mandibles , are used to chew up the plant matter that the larvae eat. The lower jaw, or labium, is weak, but may carry a spinneret , an organ used to create silk. The head is made of large lateral lobes, each having an ellipse of up to six simple eyes. The thorax
9828-409: The feeling of the environment. A huge 360-degree mural painting extends the view to distant barrier islands, bird rookeries, an upland area, and the heart of mangrove forests. Interpretive panels introduce the critical stories of the rich estuarine environment. This gallery features exhibits about the environments of South Florida. This gallery features a 12-times life-size underwater scene to explore
9954-469: The fused segments of the sterna 9 and 10, which act as insemination and oviposition. In the exoporian type (in Hepialoidea and Mnesarchaeoidea ) are two separate places for insemination and oviposition, both occurring on the same sterna as the monotrysian type, i.e. 9 and 10. The ditrysian groups have an internal duct that carries sperm, with separate openings for copulation and egg-laying. In most species,
10080-408: The galleries. The Harn's collections include over 10,000 works of art, these are displayed at the museum or other institutions through art-loan programs and traveling exhibits. The collection consists of work focused on African, Asian, modern and contemporary art, and photography. The Harn also has Ancient American and Oceanic art, and a collection of pre-1850s prints and drawings. The work in
10206-402: The genitalia are flanked by two soft lobes, although they may be specialized and sclerotized in some species for ovipositing in area such as crevices and inside plant tissue. Hormones and the glands that produce them run the development of butterflies and moths as they go through their life cycles, called the endocrine system . The first insect hormone prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) operates
10332-432: The lamella has a complex structure. It gives color either by colored pigments it contains, or through structural coloration with mechanisms that include photonic crystals and diffraction gratings . Scales function in insulation, thermoregulation, producing pheromones ( in males only ), and aiding gliding flight, but the most important is the large diversity of vivid or indistinct patterns they provide, which help
10458-757: The largest collections of Lepidoptera in the world, rivaling that of the Natural History Museum in London . The collection includes extinct species. It started with around four million specimens, with space for significant further expansion. The collection brings together those from the Allyn Museum in Sarasota , other University of Florida collections, and the State of Florida 's Division of Plant Industry collections. The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity serves both research and public education functions. The center includes
10584-551: The living Butterfly Rainforest and exhibit space that features information about Lepidoptera and rain forests worldwide, as well as 39,000 square feet (3,600 m) of research laboratories and collection space. The research space includes laboratories focusing on molecular genetics , scanning electron microscopy , image analysis, conservation and captive propagation of endangered species, optical microscopy, and specimen preparation, as well as classrooms and offices for 12 faculty curators, collection managers, and other staff. Some of
10710-487: The male that mated most recently with the female is most likely to have fertilized the eggs, but the sperm from a prior mating may still prevail. Lepidoptera usually reproduce sexually and are oviparous (egg-laying), though some species exhibit live birth in a process called ovoviviparity . A variety of differences in egg -laying and the number of eggs laid occur. Some species simply drop their eggs in flight (these species normally have polyphagous larvae, meaning they eat
10836-496: The membrane. Moving may help the pupa, for example, escape the sun, which would otherwise kill it. The pupa of the Mexican jumping bean moth ( Cydia saltitans ) does this. The larvae cut a trapdoor in the bean (species of Sebastiania ) and use the bean as a shelter. With a sudden rise in temperature, the pupa inside twitches and jerks, pulling on the threads inside. Wiggling may also help to deter parasitoid wasps from laying eggs on
10962-482: The most successful groups of insects. They are found on all continents, except Antarctica , and inhabit all terrestrial habitats ranging from desert to rainforest, from lowland grasslands to mountain plateaus, but almost always associated with higher plants, especially angiosperms ( flowering plants ). Among the most northern dwelling species of butterflies and moths is the Arctic Apollo ( Parnassius arcticus ), which
11088-512: The moth or butterfly through the air, with the wing of this segment (forewing) having a stronger vein structure. The largest superfamily, the Noctuoidea , has their wings modified to act as tympanal or hearing organs . The caterpillar has an elongated, soft body that may have hair-like or other projections, three pairs of true legs, with none to 11 pairs of abdominal legs (usually eight) and hooklets, called apical crochets. The thorax usually has
11214-456: The museum's collections complement the stories and include shell, bone, and metal ornaments as well as objects traded to the Calusa from places as far away as Missouri . The Legacy Gallery presents some of the most rare and interesting objects in the South Florida collections. These include a 1,000-year-old hand-carved wooden panel with a painting of the near-extinct ivory-billed woodpecker ,
11340-422: The museum's collections. The tidal march exhibit explains why the tidal marsh is an important ecosystem and what the specialized adaptations are that needed to survive there, as the changing tides constantly alter water and salinity levels. A coastal diorama depicts dune habitats from the barrier islands from Panama City to Pensacola , and shows an osprey in flight, bird nests from the museum's collections,
11466-434: The museum: Lepidoptera Aglossata Glossata Heterobathmiina Zeugloptera Lepidoptera ( / ˌ l ɛ p ɪ ˈ d ɒ p t ər ə / LEP -ih- DOP -tər-ə ) or lepidopterans is an order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths . About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms, making it
11592-461: The name was changed in 1988 to more accurately reflect the museum's mission and help avoid confusion with Florida State University , which is located in Tallahassee . The Florida Museum of Natural History received $ 8 million in annual research revenue in 2024. The role of the Florida Museum of Natural History as the official natural history museum for Florida, according to Florida Statute §1004.56,
11718-493: The natural ecosystem as pollinators and serve as primary consumers in the food chain ; conversely, their larvae (caterpillars) are considered very problematic to vegetation in agriculture, as they consume large quantity of plant matter (mostly foliage ) to sustain growth. In many species, the female may produce from 200 to 600 eggs, while in others, the number may approach 30,000 eggs in one day. The caterpillars hatching from these eggs can cause significant damage to crops within
11844-423: The order may have more species than earlier thought, and is among the five most species-rich orders (each with over 100,000 species) along with Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hymenoptera ( ants , bees , wasps and sawflies ) and Hemiptera ( cicadas , aphids and other true bugs). They have, over millions of years, evolved a wide range of wing patterns and coloration ranging from drab moths akin to
11970-401: The organism protect itself by camouflage or mimicry , and which act as signals to other animals including rivals and potential mates . In the reproductive system of butterflies and moths , the male genitalia are complex and unclear. In females the three types of genitalia are based on the relating taxa: 'monotrysian', 'exoporian', and 'ditrysian'. In the monotrysian type is an opening on
12096-581: The origin is unknown, although it could be derived from the pale yellow color of many species' wings suggesting the color of butter. The species of Heterocera are commonly called moths . The origins of the English word moth are clearer, deriving from Old English moððe (cf. Northumbrian dialect mohðe ) from Common Germanic (compare Old Norse motti , Dutch mot and German Motte all meaning "moth"). Perhaps its origins are related to Old English maða meaning " maggot " or from
12222-589: The plant and are normally considered pests to their host plants; some species have been found to lay their eggs on the fruit and other species lay their eggs on clothing or fur (e. g., Tineola bisselliella , the common clothes moth). Some species are carnivorous, and others are even parasitic. Some lycaenid species such as Phengaris rebeli are social parasites of Myrmica ant nests. A species of Geometridae from Hawaii has carnivorous larvae that catch and eat flies. Some pyralid caterpillars are aquatic. The larvae develop rapidly with several generations in
12348-503: The previous 5 years; this is double the growth recorded for 1972-1979 of 290 specimens per year as reported in the survey of North American collections of recent mammals. Orphaned or donated collections account for approximately 60% of reported growth. The mammal collection is primarily a research collection, but experiences a broad range of uses beyond this primary function. It is used as a teaching collection for undergraduate and graduate students; reference collection for law enforcement as
12474-503: The process of properly preserving and caring for wet-site materials. This gallery is devoted to the Indian people who live in South Florida today: the Seminole and Miccosukee . Interpretive panels address their history and their living traditions. Display cases feature many of the interesting objects from the museum's collections, including patchwork clothing, woodwork, basketry, silverwork, and artifacts from early Seminole sites. This area
12600-409: The pupa (in obtect pupae). Within hours, the wings form a cuticle so hard and well-joined to the body that pupae can be picked up and handled without damage to the wings. After about five to seven instars, or molts, certain hormones, like PTTH, stimulate the production of ecdysone , which initiates insect molting. The larva starts to develop into the pupa : body parts specific to the larva, such as
12726-457: The pupa. All the appendages on the adult head and thorax are found cased inside the cuticle ( antennae , mouthparts , etc.), with the wings wrapped around, adjacent to the antennae. The pupae of some species have functional mandibles, while the pupal mandibles are not functional in others. Although the pupal cuticle is highly sclerotized, some of the lower abdominal segments are not fused, and are able to move using small muscles found in between
12852-414: The pupa. Other species of moths are able to make clicks to deter predators. The length of time before the pupa ecloses (emerges) varies greatly. The monarch butterfly may stay in its chrysalis for two weeks, while other species may need to stay for more than 10 months in diapause. The adult emerges from the pupa either by using abdominal hooks or from projections located on the head. The mandibles found in
12978-493: The related order Trichoptera , to the brightly colored and complex-patterned butterflies. Accordingly, this is the most recognized and popular of insect orders with many people involved in the observation, study, collection, rearing of, and commerce in these insects. A person who collects or studies this order is referred to as a lepidopterist . Butterflies and moths are mostly herbivorous ( folivorous ) as caterpillars and nectarivorous as adults. They play an important role in
13104-488: The research laboratories and collections can be viewed through glass panels at the back of the museum. The Butterfly Rainforest is a display of live butterflies in a large, outdoor enclosed space attached to the museum. It is the main exhibit in the McGuire Center which is accessed from the main entrance of Powell Hall. At any given time, the exhibit contains over 50 species of butterfly and moth species, totaling some 1,000 individuals. The butterflies are brought from around
13230-465: The root of " midge ", which until the 16th century was used mostly to indicate the larva, usually in reference to devouring clothes. The etymological origins of the word "caterpillar", the larval form of butterflies and moths, are from the early 16th century, from Middle English catirpel , catirpeller , probably an alteration of Old North French catepelose (from Latin cattus , "cat" + pilosus , "hairy"). The Lepidoptera are among
13356-625: The same time. Polymorphic and/or mimetic females occur in the case of some taxa in the Papilionidae primarily to obtain a level of protection not available to the male of their species. The most distinct case of sexual dimorphism is that of adult females of many Psychidae species which have only vestigial wings, legs, and mouthparts as compared to the adult males that are strong fliers with well-developed wings and feathery antennae. Species of Lepidoptera undergo holometabolism or "complete metamorphosis". Their life cycle normally consists of an egg ,
13482-484: The sclerites, mandibles (mouthparts) for chewing, and a soft tubular, segmented body, that may have hair-like or other projections, three pairs of true legs, and additional prolegs (up to five pairs). The body consists of thirteen segments, of which three are thoracic and ten are abdominal. Most larvae are herbivores , but a few are carnivores (some eat ants or other caterpillars) and detritivores . Different herbivorous species have adapted to feed on every part of
13608-449: The second and third thoracic segments, in place of the spiracles that are apparent on abdominal segments. Wing disks develop in association with a trachea that runs along the base of the wing, and are surrounded by a thin peripodial membrane, which is linked to the outer epidermis of the larva by a tiny duct. Wing disks are very small until the last larval instar, when they increase dramatically in size, are invaded by branching tracheae from
13734-587: The second largest insect order (behind Coleoptera ) with 126 families and 46 superfamilies , and one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world. Lepidopteran species are characterized by more than three derived features. The most apparent is the presence of scales that cover the bodies , large triangular wings , and a proboscis for siphoning nectars . The scales are modified, flattened "hairs", and give butterflies and moths their wide variety of colors and patterns. Almost all species have some form of membranous wings, except for
13860-502: The sexes are sexually mature by the time of eclosion. Butterflies and moths normally do not associate with each other, except for migrating species, staying relatively asocial. Mating begins with an adult (female or male) attracting a mate, normally using visual stimuli, especially in diurnal species like most butterflies. However, the females of most nocturnal species, including almost all moth species, use pheromones to attract males, sometimes from long distances. Some species engage in
13986-795: The size of spots on the wings of which varies greatly. Sexual dimorphism is the occurrence of differences between males and females in a species. In Lepidoptera, it is widespread and almost completely set by genetic determination. Sexual dimorphism is present in all families of the Papilionoidea and more prominent in the Lycaenidae , Pieridae , and certain taxa of the Nymphalidae . Apart from color variation, which may differ from slight to completely different color-pattern combinations, secondary sexual characteristics may also be present. Different genotypes maintained by natural selection may also be expressed at
14112-542: The skippers are hooked, while those of moths have flagellar segments variously enlarged or branched. Some moths have enlarged antennae or ones that are tapered and hooked at the ends. The maxillary galeae are modified and form an elongated proboscis . The proboscis consists of one to five segments, usually kept coiled up under the head by small muscles when it is not being used to suck up nectar from flowers or other liquids. Some basal moths still have mandibles , or separate moving jaws, like their ancestors, and these form
14238-420: The species life cycle and diapause . This hormone is produced by corpora allata and corpora cardiaca , where it is also stored. Some glands are specialized to perform certain task such as producing silk or producing saliva in the palpi. While the corpora cardiaca produce PTTH, the corpora allata also produces juvenile hormones, and the prothorocic glands produce moulting hormones. In the digestive system ,
14364-439: The species' bodies. The dorsal tracheae supply oxygen to the dorsal musculature and vessels, while the ventral tracheae supply the ventral musculature and nerve cord, and the visceral tracheae supply the guts, fat bodies, and gonads. Polymorphism is the appearance of forms or "morphs", which differ in color and number of attributes within a single species. In Lepidoptera, polymorphism can be seen not only between individuals in
14490-410: The spermatophores received from males during mating. An egg can only be 1/1000 the mass of the female, yet she may lay up to her own mass in eggs. Females lay smaller eggs as they age. Larger females lay larger eggs. The egg is covered by a hard-ridged protective outer layer of shell, called the chorion . It is lined with a thin coating of wax , which prevents the egg from drying out. Each egg contains
14616-430: The spring and have them hatch in the summer. These butterflies are usually temperate species (e. g. Nymphalis antiopa ). The larvae or caterpillars are the first stage in the life cycle after hatching. Caterpillars are "characteristic polypod larvae with cylindrical bodies, short thoracic legs, and abdominal prolegs (pseudopods)". They have a sclerotized head capsule with an adfrontal suture formed by medial fusion of
14742-531: The term Rhopalocera is used for the clade of all butterfly species, derived from the Ancient Greek ῥόπαλον ( rhopalon ) and κέρας ( keras ) meaning "club" and "horn", respectively, coming from the shape of the antennae of butterflies. The origins of the common names "butterfly" and "moth" are varied and often obscure. The English word butterfly is from Old English buttorfleoge , with many variations in spelling. Other than that,
14868-510: The tiny organisms that sustain the estuary. Large sculptures of plants, fish, and invertebrates surround the walkway, and shimmering underwater light adds a sense of reality to the scene. The Fishing Heritage Gallery tells the story of 6,000 years of fishing. This artifact-rich gallery highlights 6,000 years of fishing along Florida's Gulf coast . Displays focus on the fishing industry of the Calusa , their predecessors, and traditions that carried into
14994-405: The tropics, but substantial diversity exists on most continents. North America has over 700 species of butterflies and over 11,000 species of moths, while about 400 species of butterflies and 14,000 species of moths are reported from Australia. The diversity of Lepidoptera in each faunal region has been estimated by John Heppner in 1991 based partly on actual counts from the literature, partly on
15120-445: The usual digestive cycle, but species with different diets require adaptations to meet these new demands. Some, like the luna moth , exhibit no digestive system whatsoever; they survive as adults from stored energy consumed as larvae and live for no longer than 7-10 days. In the circulatory system , hemolymph , or insect blood, is used to circulate heat in a form of thermoregulation , where muscles contraction produces heat, which
15246-402: The visitor is looking outside and into the past. Inside, interpretive panels discuss mounds and Calusa town plans. Next to the window, an interactive model shows a cutaway view of a mound and explains archaeologists' methods of interpreting the past. This gallery showcases the society of the Calusa through a dramatic re-created scene. Visitors enter a palm-thatched building and find themselves in
15372-399: The wing base that precede the formation of the wing veins and begin to develop patterns associated with several landmarks of the wing. Near pupation, the wings are forced outside the epidermis under pressure from the hemolymph , and although they are initially quite flexible and fragile, by the time the pupa breaks free of the larval cuticle, they have adhered tightly to the outer cuticle of
15498-403: The world as chrysalises and released into the exhibit after emerging as adults. There are live butterfly releases every weekday at 2 p.m. and on weekends at 2 and 3 p.m. Located in Powell Hall, the $ 2.5 million, 5,000-square-foot (460 m) exhibit describes the history of the Florida Platform through five geologic time periods. The exhibition takes visitors on a walk through time beginning in
15624-594: The world. The works from this collection are presented using thematic exhibitions. The Modern collection ranges from the mid-19th century to the first half of the 20th century. The mediums in this collection are paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings. The collection contains nearly 1,000 works from Europe and the Americas. Many works represent the major movements in American art, such as Impressionism , Post-Impressionism, and early Modernism , among others. The European works represent France, Italy, Germany and Spain. There
15750-423: The year. These seasonal adaptations are controlled by hormones, and these delays in reproduction are called diapause . Many lepidopteran species, after mating and laying their eggs, die shortly afterwards, having only lived for a few days after eclosion. Others may still be active for several weeks and then overwinter and become sexually active again when the weather becomes more favorable, or diapause. The sperm of
15876-569: Was one of the largest private gifts ever given to foster research on insects, and was matched from the State of Florida Alec Courtelis Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grant Program. The McGuires later gave another $ 3 million to fund final construction of the center. This new $ 12 million facility for Lepidoptera research and public exhibits opened in August 2004. The center houses a collection of more than 10 million butterfly and moth specimens, making it one of
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