On Moth-ers Day eve, check out the Bohart ...
The last in a series of winter-spring weekend openings at the Bohart Museum of Entomology is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. May 8, the day before Mother’s Day, with a program titled Moth-ers Day — all about, you guessed it, moths.
Organizers said visitors will be able to see the world’s largest moth, the Attacus atlas, a Southeast Asia native, with a wingspan of 10 to 12 inches.
Another large moth, also due for display this weekend, is the “bat moth” or “black witch” (Ascalapha odorata), found in numerous locations including Central America, South America, the Bahamas and parts of the southwestern United States. In Mexican and Caribbean folklore, this moth is considered a harbinger of death. In the movie The Silence of the Lambs, the moth went by the name Death’s-head Hawkmoth.
The Bohart houses more than 7 million specimens, plus assorted live critters, including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, tiger hissing cockroaches (also from Madagascar), mantids, and assorted walking sticks and walking leaves.
The museum is in 1124 Academic Surge. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Admission is free.
... then make a beeline for Second Saturday art
What’s the buzz about Sacramento’s Second Saturday festival in May? The Sacramento Bee is hosting, in its courtyard at 21st and Q streets, a bee-centric art show — and the participating artists have agreed to donate a portion of their sales to ٺƵ’ Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility.
The program also includes presentations by the Department of Entomology. Bees at The Bee is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. May 8. Admission is free.
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Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu