---
title: "What It Takes: The Insect Zoo"
date: 2025-04-24T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/what-it-takes-the-insect-zoo"
section: Articles
---
# What It Takes: The Insect Zoo

*April 24, 2025* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> From Beetles That Play Dead to Friendly Spiders, Go Behind the Scenes at One of Maryland Day’s Most Popular Exhibits

*3 S6 A8715 1920x1080 — Student worker Ryan Lee '26 holds a praying mantis, one of 100 species of bugs at the University of Maryland's Insect Zoo.*

A barely noticeable black dot scurries across a beige floor, easily mistaken for a bit of fluff or fleck of dirt. But not to the keen eyes of the staff and students of the University of Maryland Insect Zoo.

“Oh! There’s an isopod on the ground!” exclaims zoo manager Todd Waters, as student volunteer Julia Chan ’25 bends down to scoop it up. “That might be a Madagascar hissing cockroach baby, actually. Oh yeah, it looks like it.”

For many people, just the thought of a roach nearby is enough to make them shudder or shriek. But that fear is what the folks at the Insect Zoo are hoping to change by carefully cultivating a collection of about 100 species—like beetles, grasshoppers and mantises, and non-insect arthropods, such as centipedes, scorpions and spiders—and introducing them to the public. They take the critters all over Maryland, presenting them at elementary schools, agricultural fairs, community events and more, and open up their facility to classes and tours.


*Todd Waters and Julia Chan look at a plastic box with Lubber grasshoppers — Todd Waters, left, and Julia Chan contain Lubber grasshoppers as they try to crawl out of their box.*


*Australian leaf insect held on a hand — Australian leaf insect*


*A hand holds a small paintbrush to try to get a tarantula out of a plastic box — One of the Insect Zoo's two 22-year-old tarantulas*


*A tailless whip scorpion held in two hands — Tailless whip scorpion*



**Sidebar note:**

The Insect Zoo is among the 400-plus events planned for Maryland Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday all across campus. Find the full lineup of activities, performances and interactive exhibits at [marylandday.umd.edu.](https://marylandday.umd.edu/)

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Fun facts about Insect Zoo critters:

- Centipedes and millipedes are different, despite both having many legs (millipedes generally have more—some have more than 1,000!). Centipedes are venomous; they have specialized, modified legs that they use to inject venom. Millipedes can produce toxic chemicals when they are stressed out, creating a bad smell.
- The Goliath birdeater is its biggest spider. They are originally from South America and grow up to 12 inches with their legs spread.
- Most insects live only until the season’s first cold snap or until they lay their eggs. Ants go into hibernation in the winter, so the Insect Zoo crew puts them in the fridge to simulate those conditions.





**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Entomology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/entomology), [Maryland Day](https://today.umd.edu/topic/maryland-day), [What It Takes](https://today.umd.edu/topic/what-it-takes), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources)