The Beetles

Exhibition: The Beetles
Location: Museum of Natural History, Multimedia Hall, Strada Cetății no. 1
Duration: September 2025 – March 2026
Curators: Silviu Țicu, Maria Stănciugelu

 
The exhibition “The Beetles” – an exhibition about the fascinating world of beetles and the richness of the entomological collections of the Natural History Museum of Sibiu.

Beetles are insects belonging to the order Coleoptera, characterized by complete metamorphosis and by a pair of strongly chitinized wings called elytra. Coleopterans represent the most numerous group of organisms on Earth, comprising at least 400,000 species – that is, over 40% of insects and a quarter of all life forms on the planet. Their role in ecosystems is essential: from pollinators to recyclers, from a food source for other species to true top predators, beetles contribute to the balance of the environment and provide irreplaceable ecosystem services.

The exhibition “The Beetles” invites visitors to step into the immense world of these small insects, discovering their abundance, diversity, and importance, as well as the threats faced by this remarkable order.

The Natural History Museum of Sibiu preserves some of the oldest and most valuable entomological collections in Romania, dating back to 1827. These represent both a historical value—being among the first collections of this kind in the country—and an exceptional scientific and documentary value, including type specimens, rare species, and examples reflecting the biogeographical character of Transylvania and beyond. Over more than a century, the collections have been constantly enriched through the activity of the Transylvanian Society of Natural Sciences, exchanges with foreign specialists, private donations, and continuous research conducted by generations of curators and entomologists. Today, the museum’s entomology collections number over 265,777 specimens.

Through these scientific resources and its exhibitions, the Natural History Museum of Sibiu continues to expand knowledge of biodiversity and to share with the public the fascination of the insect world.