We swat at them, use repellents to keep them away, but maybe bugs aren't so bad after all. A new exhibit in Delaware promises to open up a whole new world full of insects. WFMZ's Karin Mallett takes us on this week's One Tank Trip. 
  
Standing an ominous 12 feet tall, it's what a praying mantis would look like if you happened to be an ant. >> REPORTER: It's an impressive insect, preying on spiders, small frogs.. even chowing down lizards. >> Theresa Messmore: It's a pretty fierce competitor of the bug world. >>REPORTER: And the centerpiece of Backyard Monsters.. the new exhibit at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington. >>Messmore: It gives visitors a chance to explore life from a bug's eye view. >>REPORTER: The insects are animated and rather lifelike.. down to the smallest details. So real in fact, the exhibit is endorsed by the Entomological Society of America. >>Standup: Getting this guy's fore legs and pinchers to move is no easy feat.. he's hooked up to tubes which run all the way down to air compressors in the basement of the museum. >> REPORTER: At 96 times their normal size.. you can't miss the carpenter ants. The emperor scorpion looks like he's ready to eat.. snapping his sharp claws nearby. >>Messmore: It's generally not harmful to humans but you want to keep your distance if you ever run into a scorpion on your travels. >> REPORTER: While some move on their own.. >>nats: >>REPORTER: You get to control the robo bugs.. where apparently six legs are better than two. These huge fly eyes show you what they see.. and the flying station shows you how they get to where they're going. >> Messmore: We hope that this exhibit really captures the imagination of children and families. and maybe it'll inspire some children to start their own insect collection. >> REPORTER: Feeling like a fly on the wall on a One Tank Trip to the Delaware Museum of Natural History, Karin Mallett 69 News Berks Edition.

website: www.delmnh.org
One-way distance: 54 miles
One-way time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
original airdate: 2/18/2009

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