Glass wing butterflies, Dulcedo polita, National Institute of Biodiversity, Costa Rica

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Museo de Insectos

San José


Reputedly Central America's largest insect museum, this place has an extensive collection assembled by the Facultad de Agronomía (agronomy faculty) at the Universidad de Costa Rica. After viewing the specimens, visitors are invited to a room with a kitchen to sample meal worms, scarabs and crickets. A little salt and oregano does wonders.

Curiously, the museum is housed in the basement of the music building, a brutalist structure painted an incongruous shade of Barbie pink.