Micropolis, ''la cité des insectes'' (city of

insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ...

) is situated in the

Lévézou The Lévézou is a geographical region in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is an impervious crystalline plateau with an average altitude of around 900m. Its highest point is Mont Seigne (1 128 m). Though its borders are not strictly ...

region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, at

Saint-Léons Saint-Léons (Languedocien: ''Sant Liònç'') is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It was the birthplace of the entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre (1823–1915). Population File:Fleche Cartailhac MHNT PRE 2009.0.232.2. ...

, near Millau. Micropolis is a museum dedicated to the entomologist

Jean-Henri Fabre Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre (21 December 1823 – 11 October 1915) was a French naturalist, entomologist, and author known for the lively style of his popular books on the lives of insects. Biography Fabre was born on 21 December 1823 in Saint-L ...

and inspired by the film, '' Microcosmos'', of 1996. Micropolis is also a scientific centre with an experimental station on

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

. The covered building has 15 rooms spread over . It has vast outdoor spaces, in particular a walk called the carnival of insects which is both a space for observing nature with a panorama of Mont Seigne (at , the second highest summit of Lévézou) and a fun area for evocation of insects through 11 figurative stations which present giant insects.

External links

Micropolis website

(in English)
The museum and birth house of Jean-Henri Fabre
Biographical museums in France Natural history museums in France Museums in Aveyron Insectariums {{France-museum-stub