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Welcome to Insectopia.. an exciting mixture of education and fun Just a few steps from the famous Gouffre de Padirac, insectopia has a wide variety of all weather exhibits and In addition to our live insect collections, we have fascinating interactive displays on insects and camouflage, the story of cochineal, insects under the microscope, insects did it first and many others that will leave you educated and amazed! Leaf-Cutting antsOur colony of Leaf-Cutting ants (Atta cephalotes) are from Trinidad and they are one of the few members of the Ant species that have evolved a symbiotic relationship with a type of fungus. Although they appear to devour most green plant material given to them (their favourite is Rose petals!), they do not eat the plant material directly – instead they chew it up and use it as a base to grow a type of fungus which they then eat. If you look closely you will see the ants cutting pieces of leaf and carrying them back to their nest – inside the glass chamber you will see the honeycomb-like appearance of the fungus. Stick InsectsAmongst our collection of Stick Insects, the Macleay’s Spectre Stick Insect (Extatasoma tiaratum) has an amazing way of rearing its young. Its eggs are dropped to the forest floor where they resemble seeds. A special scent attracts a species of ant that collects the eggs and stores them safe & warm in its nest until they are ready to hatch. This stick insect has found a way of using other insects to raise & protect its young! Giant Black millipedeAmongst our touch-screen Insect Olympics exhibit is the World’s largest species of millipede, the Giant Black millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas ) from Africa. Growing up to 20cm in length, these millipedes are harmless vegetarians, whose favourite food is cucumber! Although people think Millipedes have 1,000 legs, this species only has around 400, whilst the record is 762! Strangely, they have an un-even number of pairs of legs – so one side of the millipede has an extra set! 6 Legged CinemaInsects and the cinema have had a long relationship from the 1910 short film Battle of the Stag Beetles to modern animations such as Antz! Our review of insects in the movies, also known as “6 legged Cinema” includes clips from such classics as “Them!” – 1950s giant radioactive ants – to more well known subjects as “The Fly” and “Starship Troopers”, covering themes such as Special Effects, Insects & Society and the Fear Factor. Come and see our review on a giant screen with giant insects to match! Yum yum!Insects have been eaten by many cultures for thousands of years. To some people they are the most tasty of dishes! Our display brings together examples from around the World, including Chocolate coated ants, Stir-fried Silkworms and Tequila-flavoured lollipops with a genuine Mescal worm inside! If you like the idea of edible insects, why not buy some examples from our shop to take home or as a present for your friends and family! Listen to Insects!Hear what insects have to say to each other with our Touch-screen exhibit! Match the Sound to the Insect. Discover the insect that sounds like a Fax machine! You'll be surprised how easily you respond to the high-pitched whine of the mosquito - their sound seems designed to annoy! Praying MantisThe Praying Mantis is a gluttonous eating machine that will attack anything moving! Our Mantids are fed on captive-bred Crickets and Fruit flies, which they capture in 1/100th of a second with their lightning fast arms. All our Mantids live alone – not only do they eat anything that moves – they also eat each other - they are often cannibals! Fruit BeetlesInsects have an amazing array of colours, produced by different means - from the amazing electric blue of the Morpho butterfly to the almost-metallic sheen of these Fruit Beetles. We have live examples of amazingly coloured beetles than shine and sparkle in the light! Learn more and see examples in our video displays! LocustsTake a look at our display of Locusts as you enter the Museum - the Desert Locust (Locusta migratoria) can gather in swarms of up to 1 billion, devastating crops in Equatorial Africa. Ours are safely contained behind glass - dry and at 35°C! (they could not survive outside - at the first drop in temperature they would all die…) 2009 Opening TimesWe are open at the following times from 3rd July to 28th August inclusive:
2009 Tarifs
How to Find usWe are located at the side of the Gouffre de Padirac, just 50m from it's rear car park and less than 100m from the actual Gouffre itself. The Gouffre is signposted within a 50km radius on all main roads and the A20 motorway. Our 3D insect signs are located along the main approach roads to the Gouffre. Find Insectopia on the Google Location Map. GPS Users: N 44°051 572 E 01° 45 065 Alt 382m. Contact UsE-mail: info@insectopia.fr Phone: 05 65 33 76 76. Insectopia 
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