Trouble with tiger beetles: Singapore Science Centre’s Wallace exhibition spreads tiger beetle myth

My reactions to the exhibition were mixed. First the positive points: It is very nicely put together, especially considering that there are no actual Wallace-owned items (specimens, documents or other objects) on display. The videos, dioramas and ‘hands-on’ elements are excellent technically and visually, and the Science Centre staff who produced them should be praised for doing such a brilliant job. Overall I thought the exhibition was good, and whilst I would certainly recommend going to see it, visitors should be aware that it contains a number of serious historical inaccuracies. I am concerned that some of the tens of thousands of people who have seen/will see this exhibition will spread these errors, and that they will end up becoming accepted ‘facts’ in the literature... It is in a probably futile attempt to try to combat this that I am writing this article.