Insect Museum |This is the renovated space of the Klaus Raven Büller Entomology Museum of the La Molina Agrarian University

The American entomologist Terry Erwin who carried out part of his research in Mother of God estimated that up to 30 million species of insects could exist in the world. However, many of them have not yet been described or named. “There are nearly a million species of insects registered, described and referenced in scientific collections and museums. But if Terry Erwin is right and there are 30 million, then how much more remains to be named and studied?” reflects entomologist Clorinda Vergara, director of the museum, while touring with the team from the magazine “Somos” the new spaces where researchers and students work to expand knowledge about the country’s entomological fauna.

“We are within the Neotropical region, which is considered very rich in biological diversity. That biological diversity is reflected in insects. And here in the collection we can see that richness of diversity,” adds the scientist.

The museum, he explains, seeks to preserve and study, but also arouse curiosity, especially in children and young people who will find here a gateway to a different world.

Insects on display

The tour of the showroom is organized by order. From the most familiar ones, such as the order Hymenoptera, which groups bees, bumblebees, wasps and ants; or the order Araneae, where spiders and tarantulas are found; to others less known but equally fascinating. Among them, the order Phasmatodea, with the so-called stick insects or leaf insects, masters of extreme camouflage, capable of blending in almost completely with branches and foliage. There is also the order Mantodea, dedicated to the praying mantises or Santateresas, famous for their posture and predatory behavior.

One of the most popular spaces is the one dedicated to the order Coleoptera, where impressive beetles of various shapes and sizes stand out. Some of the most striking specimens in the room are exhibited there: the Titanus giganteus (there is one 20 centimeters long in the exhibition); the harlequin beetle, with its bright colors; and Dynastes Hercules, known as the strongest insect in the world. The fights between males of this species, motivated by competition and the use of their large horns, are so intense that they have even given rise to illegal trafficking to organize fights.

Another section invites us to reconsider prejudices. The one dedicated to order Blattodea seeks to show another side of the unpopular cockroaches. There are around 4,600 described species and, although we usually associate them with urban environments, the majority are wild. They inhabit natural ecosystems and fulfill essential ecological functions.

Insects are often seen as agricultural pests, parasites or disease vectors. But its positive impact is enormous. They provide key ecosystem services such as organic matter recycling, pollination and biological control. They are, in many ways, nature’s most important recyclers.

“When the hand of man does not intervene, we see nature in balance. And that balance, silently, is carried out by insects,” highlights Vergara. Industrious and discreet, insects work without recognition, sustaining our planet. The museum allows us to discover this invisible work and learn to value its place in everyday life.

Museum history

The exhibition hall presents about twenty orders of insects and around 10,000 specimens. However, the museum houses millions of specimens that have been studied over more than 60 years of history. Each showcase summarizes decades of scientific work and the efforts of hundreds of researchers.

It all started in 1964 with a small collection that was formalized as a museum in June 1971. “Behind that 1971 that we see in the museum’s logo, there is a very long history,” says Dr. Vergara. The growth of the space was marked by the work of Dr. Klaus Raven Büller, a native of La Libertad, who promoted its officialization and gave the museum its name. In 1981, Vergara took over the direction after receiving the assignment from his teacher. “You now have 20 more years,” he told her then, as if giving her a mission that Director Vergara assumed with commitment.

For a decade, the director promoted the approval of the technical file of the current project, which includes the new exhibition hall and research areas. There are still stages to be finalized, such as the auditorium and the beekeeping space. “This project is very good for our country. Insects are everywhere and we are occupying their space, we have to respect that space because thanks to them we have what we eat and we have those landscapes that one sees seemingly calm, but they are the ones in charge of pruning and recycling. We only see what man handles,” he says.

Space for researchers

Beyond the exhibition, the museum houses a scientific reference collection, with species classified and preserved in hermetically closed drawers and air-conditioned environments. The laboratories operate on the second floor. There, during our visit, we found researchers such as Nidia Elguera, Bertha Morales, Laura Cruz and Mariajosé Deza developing projects ranging from soil studies to analysis for the agricultural sector and inventories for future generations.

“We have a laboratory where we receive samples for analysis. When someone has problems with insects, they bring their sample and we provide that service, because we have to see where we generate our own resources to be able to maintain this space, because we are a State university and we have to help the State in maintenance,” explains Vergara.

The scientist remembers that her vocation was born in childhood, observing insects in her mother’s garden. “It’s incredible, I tell my students, what you want, you can, you can achieve it. I told myself: ‘I’m going to be an entomologist’. And I am an entomologist. The attitude is important, being positive.” Today, that conviction continues to push the museum forward. “One day I visualized the museum, and here it is, we have it. It’s incredible.”

The Klaus Raven Büller Entomology Museum thus opens a new stage and hopes to sow curiosity in new generations to value those beings without whom the world simply would not function. //