It is already a cliché to complain about increasing
commercialization of such spheres of society as art and culture
which earlier were not directly associated with commerce. But
recently, concerned voices are repeatedly heard from the direction
of science. Particularly, entomologists are very worried about the
latest developments. They report that the same tendency has been
observed also in their research area. It is weird, but apparently
the spirit of commerce is now also penetrating nature.
The capability of some insects for mimicry has been known for long.
For instance, the orchid praying mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) is
practically not to be distinguished from the orchid flower on which
it is sitting. Some two years ago the new types of beetle were
discovered in the area of Tunguska in Siberia. This was a group of
beetles which do not belong to one type, but still they have the
same feature: they can imitate not only the colours of plant forms
in their environment, but also various objects which they meet
coincidentally (a matchbox, a pencil, a piece of crumpled paper).
The whole group got the name “Tunguska
Scarabæus”. (Tunguska is a remote
area in Siberia. On the 30th
of June 1908, an enormous explosion took place there. It is known as
the Tunguska explosion. As a result of the explosion, the trees
broke off at the basis of their trunks in the surroundings within 40
kilometres. The cause of the explosion has still been speculated
about, also due to the fact that it took place in a very remote
area. This creates mystery around the Tunguska explosion, and the
wildest theories emerge).
According to the financial sector, the consequences of uncontrolled
stuffing of big amounts of imitation coins are incalculable.
An entomological laboratory of Saratov University in Russia (858 km
from Moscow) is carrying out a research on the Tunguska beetle. The
attempts to grow coins from the beetle larvae artificially did lead
to a result, but not quite a desirable one: every time only old
Russian coins, which are not in circulation any more, are coming
out. But who knows what is lying ahead of us?
At this moment the laboratory in Saratov is in possession of a
unique collection of materials concerning the investigation of the
latest spectacular developments in the beetle realm. The objects of
the collection are never lent out because of their extreme
vulnerability. That is why ceramic replicas of the most interesting
pieces of the collection were made for this exhibition. Besides,
drawings connected with the scientific investigation are presented
in the exposition, next to some photos of the laboratory in Saratov.
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