Insects are some of the hardest working, most intriguing creatures on the planet.
These smallest of animals are essential to a healthy environment, and to our very existence.
Many visitors to a booth at the Western Montana Fair learned about the lives of many exotic insects this week.
NBC Montana spent time at the booth, and watched plenty of curious folks who came to view and hold the animals.
Youngsters were especially drawn to them.
Falcon Machado held a Vietnamese Walking Stick.
“This is so cool. I've never seen a stick bug in real life," he said, "If I saw this from far away, I'd be like oh, that’s a pretty weird looking stick."
(Kids) said lead animal keeper Brenna Shea, " are absolutely enthralled by the animals that they’re holding in their hands.”
Brenna is part of the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, a non-profit founded by Glenn and Jen Marangelo.
“Our mission," said Jen of the insectarium, "is to inspire an appreciation and understanding of insects and their relatives.”
“They’re such incredible learning subjects," said Glenn. "You learn new things every day."
Insects are a huge part of the chain of life.
“We could not live without them," said Jen. " They provide so many essential services.”
They're predators, and are predated upon, to keep the insect world itself in check.
They pollinate our plants.
“They help break down dung and carrion and wood and leaf litter," said Jen," and they help build our soils.”
The Marangelos currently keep exotic insects in their office at the Montana Natural History Center and at a lab at the University of Montana.
They offer outreach educational events and mobile programs to communities.
The Marangelos have found insect education to be popular in western Montana and they need more room.
The scientists plan to open their Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium next June.
It will be part of the Rocky Mountain Gardens and Exploration Center now being constructed at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.
“The closest facility that’s got something similar," said Glenn, " is in Seattle.”
The facility will also feature a 25-hundred square feet space for butterflies.
(It will be ) "80 degrees, 80 percent humidity, " said Glenn. "We estimate that at any given time there probably will be about 500 free flying butterflies.”
The Marangelos had operated a smaller insectarium in downtown Missoula for four years.
“We were able to bring a lot of teachers and do field trips," said Jen, "that really just firmed up our belief that this was something that Missoula would support.”
The new facility will house the Missoula County Extension office.
It will offer educational programs on insects.
“On native pollinizers," said Department Head of the Missoula County Weed District and Extension, Jerry Marks. "One of the things we’re going to have here, is called a bee lawn that can attract the native bees.”
“We are going to show a lot of these big charismatic animals that you got to see at the insectarium," said Jen. "But we are also going to highlight some of our native species as well.”
The scientists don't have the butterflies yet.
They don't have enough room in their current spaces.
But they do have a sizable collection of exotic insects.
Glenn showed us several Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
"They're good decomposers," he said. "They're kind of the cleaner-uppers of the environment."
Glenn said these tropical roaches wouldn't survive in Montana's outdoors.
He keeps them in egg cartons.
The little mountains you'll find in an egg carton gives whole families of hissing cockroaches the environment they need to be happy.
As they tumbled around in their little apartments, Glenn said you'll find "mom and dad, aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters."
Where would an insectarium be without a tarantula?
Polly, the tarantula, is one of the non-profit's biggest stars.
But she's currently not available for public appearances.
She's molting, shedding a coat that's grown too small.
Glenn said it will allow her to "expand and do a little bit of growing."
Brenna showed NBC Montana a number of tarantula exoskeletons.
“They shed throughout their lives," she said, " so it’s not a one-time thing.”
Glenn showed us one of his favorite friends.
He reached into her glass home and held her up for us to see.
“Her name is R-2, he said, "She’s a Chilean rose hair tarantula.”
R-2 or Rosie 2 rested quietly in the palm of his hand.
"She's sweet," he said. She's also tolerant and apparently likes to be held.
(But) " if she wanted to," said Glenn, "she could dig her fangs into me."
Glenn showed us a less friendly, but no less fascinating creature.
He said you probably shouldn't hold the Giant forest scorpion.
"This one's got some attitude I think," said Glenn. But he admires the scorpion's classic good looks with its "tail curled up."
Glenn retrieved another Vietnamese Walking Stick, allowing it to explore his arm.
“There’s some that look just like sticks," he said. "Some look like bark. There’s some that look like leaves.”
Like the adorable Baby Leaf insect.
It's green and blends into a leaf to protect it against predators.
This one likes to eat maple leaves.
It's a type of walking stick too.
“It’s a great one for kids to be able to hold," said Glenn. " I think the scary thing for us is that they’re extremely fragile.”
“These animals are great teaching ambassadors," said Jen. "I think a lot of people don't notice them unless they're being bothered by them."
But, she said, " these animals are great teaching ambassadors. You can pick any biological concept and find an insect to model that."
“These exotic insects are just a small sample of the insects that we can see.
But there are countless multitudes of animals that we can’t see.
They're working for us behind the scenes every day,