Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

Spiders and insects

Insects, arachnids, myriapods, bugs, creepy-crawlies, moths, butterflies and their allies.

  • A long-legged spider on a rock.

    Save A Spider Day

    March 14 is Save A Spider Day. As they are not always the most popular of animals, some readers may be wondering why on Earth anybody would want to save spiders at all! In this blog, our spider man and spider fan Dr Phil Sirvid looks at some of the reasons spiders deserve your love or at least your tolerance.

  • male-sheetweb-spider-te-papa-700x525.jpg

    What spider is that?

    This guide can help you identify some of our strange and wonderful spiders. It also explains a few of their intriguing habits.

  • Moths, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and stick insects

    The genius of bugs

    You name it, bugs can do it. Over millions of years, they’ve adapted to make the most of every habitat on Earth. We’re only just beginning to discover their secrets.

  • Photograph of a mosquito

    New Zealand Mosquito Census

    We need your help tracking New Zealand’s native and introduced mosquito species so we can get a better understanding of which species live where and how they’re spreading. Simply catch it, freeze it, and send it!

  • Tardigrade water bear seen from under a microscope

    Fantastic water bears and how to photograph them

    Jean-Claude explains why photographing a water bear is such a ‘bugbear’ and bug expert Phil Sirvid fills us in on exactly what a water bear is, and why they are one of the most indestructible creatures on the planet.

  • Close-up of a sunset moth, 2016. Te Papa

    Your bug questions answered

    Do spiders sleep? Why are cicadas so loud? Te Papa's bug expert Phil Sirvid answers some of your more unusual questions.

  • A close-up image of a larvae under a microscope

    Benefits of insects to humans – Forensic entomology

    Te Papa entomology curator and forensic entomologist Julia Kasper looks at some of her favourite ways insects help humanity. Together with Auckland-based MSc student Xenia Okeremi, she explains how flies can help solve crimes.