Insects & Invertebrates
"Working together they can subdue prey a whopping 700 times their weight - even birds aren't safe..."
If one spider is enough to get you sweating, how about webs full of thousands of them?
Its deadly sting causes paralysis and 2,600 deaths a year…
Do scorpions deserve their fearsome reputation? Stuart Blackman takes a look
"It feeds on your blood for a week before you even notice – and then leaves behind a rare and life-threatening disease…"
Carried by the lone star tick, the Bourbon virus mimics Lyme disease closely enough to slip past diagnosis entirely.
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"It will slowly consume their host from the inside-out, leaving only the essential organs, to keep the surrogate womb ticking over…"
Life gets pretty grim for a caterpillar if it becomes infected with a parasitic wasp says Nick Baker? Who says zombies aren't real?
Scientists searching for a devastating crop-killing pest discovered an 'alien' nightmare instead…
Scientists found a new species of wasp in China – but it does something weird...
The truth about the famous 'worm' in the alcoholic drink mezcal is a lot stranger than you think
Biologists have finally identified the ‘worm’ added to bottles of mezcal
Researchers explore one of Africa’s deepest lakes – and found an unexpected creature lurking in its depths
A surprising insect has been observed at depths of more than 200 metres
"They are among the world's strangest creatures. Some lay eggs that hatch into a different species altogether, rather than their own – bizarre…"
Researchers have identified a new species of harvester ant in Bulgaria – part of a notoriously tricky genus Messor.
Canals were built for industry, but have become a lifeline for endangered species. Here’s why
Britain’s canals were not designed for nature, but for many species they could be what makes survival possible
"To see one, you’ll need to dive into the twilight zone where they float around looking – quite frankly – like a pair of pink, peachy pig’s buttocks"
Meet the pigbutt worm - that looks just like it sounds. Never has a name been so apt...
It lurches from the sand like a coiled spring, snapping its jaws so ferociously they can slice prey in half… 6 terrifying, spine-chilling worms
Prepare for a scare as we take a look at some of the most terrifying worms on the planet.
Prehistoric insects were absolutely massive. Here's why they needed to be so darn big
Richard Jones explains just why prehistoric insects were so large...
The day weevils hired lawyers and saw the Church in court
Meet the 16th century lawyer who defended weevils in court – centuries before ‘conservation’ existed
Do ants use toilets?
How one species of ant even have toilet attendants...
These giant insects are spreading across Europe. And they're reproducing fast
Boosted by climate change and human activity, these praying mantises have settled in – and are proving to be quite problematic residents.
“It slowly disappears under a writhing mass of earth and ants and is sliced up.” Ravenous insects devour prey alive in BBC clip
Driver ants attack everything unfortunate enough to wind up in their path – and this unlucky slug is in for a tough day.
Scientists have built a tiny diving suit for ‘cyborg cockroaches’. And it could save human lives
The invention comes after a decade of research into cyborg insects – which could be used in search and rescue missions
"As with humans, their greatest enemies are the same species. At the frontier they detect friend or foe by smell and interlopers are repulsed…"
Ants are often a much-overlooked group of insects, but they have fascinating behaviours and adaptations, as entomologist Richard Jones explains.
"This means that those returning in the spring will be the ‘great-great-grandchildren’ of those that left the previous autumn…"
Mike Unwin explores just how far this remarkable butterfly species travels when migrating
It’s bigger than your thumb, has immense jaws and is nicknamed the flying bulldog – Meet the largest bee on the planet
Discover the giant bee of Indonesia.
"It's like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.” The wasps and bees with the most painful, savage stings on the planet
Not all stings are created equal – explore the bees and wasps whose powerful venoms produce some of the most intense pain ever recorded
“It seizes the victim with large spines, impaling and immobilising the prey…” This ultimate hunter might look like a spider, but don’t be fooled…
In this clip from BBC Earth’s Expedition Guyana, George McGavin explores an extreme habitat underneath a fallen, hollowed-out tree in a Guyana rainforest, and comes across something interesting…
"They eat their hosts from the inside out, using saw-like teeth to chew their way through thick skin." 10 most brutal, savage, parasites on the planet
Lurking in the shadows of many ecosystems are animals whose main motivations are, quite literally, to hijack the bodies of others and eat them from the inside out…
"Multiple stings can cause alarming swelling, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion. An average human would be lucky to survive 1,000 stings"
What makes a slight skin prick, administered by a bee or a wasp, turn into a life-threatening emergency?
