Insects & Invertebrates
It could be latching onto your skin and sucking your blood right now – and that's not even the worst of it
Discover the wonders of lice...
It drinks the blood of its children to survive - causing them so much pain and trauma they try and run away
Has any animal ever been more aptly named?
It hunts like a cowboy, launching a long sticky lasso to snag its prey – then reels it in for the kill
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It's only 15cm long, but it can run at 16kph and its deadly jaws are one-third the length of its body and strong enough to shear through bone
Camel spiders may look intimidating, but they don’t actually eat camels.
It can be seen from space and contains a staggering two hundred million mounds, each one an enormous nine metres across and two and a half metres tall
Are termites the best builders in the business?
These bizarre insects make sounds with their genitals to escape hungry predators
New research outlines the details of a unique defence mechanism observed in hawkmoths.
Why on Earth are moths so furry?
Ever wondered why moths are furry? Richard Jones explains
Did you know an animal has been named after Donald Trump?
How a resemblance to Donald Trump inspired the name for an unknown moth species in the USA.
“She ended up having to get bitten over 1,000 times.” These scientists studied an insect notorious for carrying a deadly disease
New research presents a detailed analysis of the biting process of the mosquito most notorious for carrying malaria.
In order to mate, hundreds of males cluster tightly around the female to make a ‘mating ball' before she escapes underground
Ivy bees have an interesting and altogether different lifestyle to honey bees
10 biggest, most gigantic spiders in the world: Discover terrifying arachnids as big as dinner plates
Meet the ten largest spiders in the world - you wouldn't want to see these scuttling across your carpet!
It drinks an animal's tears – and has a terrifying way of getting them
The Madagascar tear drinking moth slurps tears from the eyes of birds — in a quest for precious nutrients
“The thing I remember most is him screaming.” Scientists were exploring a tropical island when, out of a hole, a long pair of legs appeared
Conservationists have formally described a new species of trapdoor spider on an island in Mauritius
It’s 40 miles wide, contains billions of creatures and takes 20 years to form – Watch gobsmacking BBC footage of nature’s deadliest, most destructive swarm ever
In astonishing footage from Planet Earth, swarms of desert locusts decimate vegetation
It might look like a beautiful flower but it's actually a deadly predator... Meet a very innocent-looking, cold-hearted mass killer
For pollen-seekinginsects this is one deadly predator
Trap wires, sub-aqua bubbles and a nightmarish 500-metre superweb... 10 weirdest spider webs on the planet – arachnophobes shouldn't read number 3
From the rounded, geometrical-perfection of orb-webs, to the trip wires laid beside trap doors and funnel webs, there is more than one way to trap a fly.
This animal can remain attached to you for as long as a week – until it’s fully engorged with blood – and can leave you with a dangerous, potentially deadly disease
The lone star tick is widespread in the eastern United States and can cause a plethora of diseases.
Symptoms include a haemorrhagic fever which can lead to vomiting blood, blood in faeces and bleeding from the nose and gums. 10 of the most deadly mosquito-borne diseases
Including 1 you might not even know you have...
Purple is nature's rarest colour but purple animals do exist: 9 beautiful, incredible purple animals that look like they've been painted
They're TINY – so how do fleas jump SO high ?
Just how do fleas manage to jump so high? Stuart Blackman explains the power behind the leap
This 99-million-year-old insect had a mouth like a drinking straw, nearly twice as long as its body. Its purpose was even stranger than it looked
Preserved in resin for 99 million years, this insect offers a glimpse into the ecosystems of ancient forests.
What on Earth is a Mexican jumping bean? And why and how do they jump?
Did you know Mexican jumping beans are actually caterpillars?
This sloth has moths living in its fur. The reason why is remarkable
Insects provide a whole range of benefits for other animals, including food, shelter, protection and even medicines.
It floats, it's bigger than a dinner plate and it's made up of more than 100,000 individuals
If you saw this circular raft floating down a river you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a discarded deep-dish pizza…
