Extinct and Endangered

Opens June 22, 2022

Opening Soon

Included with General Admission. Akeley Gallery and East Galleria, 2nd floor.

Closeup ventral view of honeybee.
The giant Patagonian bumblebee, Bombus dahlbomii, is one of the world's largest bumblebee species. It's also endangered, with numbers dwindling since farmers introduced domesticated European bumblebees to help pollinate crops.
© Levon Biss
Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril

From bees to butterflies, insects help keep natural ecosystems healthy. But the evidence is clear: many insect species are in decline.

Experience these tiny animals' outsized impact on our planet through the uniquely powerful macrophotography of Levon Biss, which highlights 40 incredible but imperiled species from the Museum's world-class research collection in large-format photographs, some as large as 4.5 by 8 feet.

Reserve Tickets »

Included with any admission. Choose a date and time of entry to the Museum from June 22 onwards.

 

Dorsal view of a ladybug's spotted shell.
The ninespotted lady beetle, Coccinella novemnotata, is the official state insect of New York State. These beetles were once widespread but their numbers suddenly crashed in the 1980s for reasons that remain unclear.
© Levon Biss

Each photograph in Extinct and Endangered is created from up to 10,000 individual images using special lenses, capturing microscopic detail.

Brightly colored butterfly with wings spread. The endangered butterfly Gonepteryx maderensis, also called the Madeiran brimstone, feeds on just one type of tree as a caterpillar. 
© Levon Biss
Dorsal view of a large horned beetle. The sabertooth longhorn beetle, Macrodontia cervicornis, lives in the Amazon River basin, where habitat loss and commercial collecting have contributed to its vulnerable status. 
© Levon Biss

The Museum gratefully acknowledges Robert & Ipek Gibbins and Autonomy Capital for their leadership support of Extinct and Endangered.

Generous support has been provided by the Arthur Ross Foundation.