Insects & Invertebrates
It looks like a bee, acts like a bee – but this no bee...
Bee-flies are found in gardens and allotments around the British Isles – so you might be lucky enough to spot one engaging in its unusual reproductive behaviour
What's the largest beetle in the world? Clue – it's as long as a toothbrush
Two beetle species are contenders for the accolade of biggest beetle– depending on how you’re measuring.
"This acoustic assault appears to be an effective deterrent to stop it from being eaten by its host and the host from losing its friend with benefits..."
For a long time, biologists were puzzled by the curious appearance and behaviour of the New Zealand bat fly. Now they think they've figured it out. Nick Baker reports...
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“The cordyceps erupts from the ant’s head.” Deadly parasitic fungus infiltrates an ant’s body and mind in this BBC Planet Earth clip
In footage captured for BBC’s Planet Earth, an ant is infected by deadly zombie fungus.
"It preys on animals 6 times its size and hides in walls..."
Scientists have discovered a tiny wall-dwelling spider in Colombia – and named it after the iconic band Pink Floyd
It looks like a crab, runs sideways, can change colour, and lurks in meadows, waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by
Meet the flower crab spider – the nemesis of meadow-loving insects.
"The longer it stays latched onto your skin, the more toxin it pumps in until your legs start to give way and your face and breathing muscles begin to freeze..."
It’s not much bigger than a sesame seed but its toxin will leave you unable to walk
It's as big as a rolling pin and can drain a tablespoon of human blood in a single meal, thanks to its razor-sharp hypodermic needle-like mouth
Deep in the Amazon, a giant leech lurks, quietly feeding off victims in rivers and swampy waters, largely unseen.
"The male rubs a ridge on its penis against ridges on its abdomen, thereby setting the pond – and any female in it – abuzz..."
Nick Baker and Richard Jones take a look at this fascinating aquatic insect
Which species are named after Sir David Attenborough? And how many of them are there?
Sir David Attenborough has over 50 species named after him, ranging from a prehistoric marine reptile to a native British flower only found in the Brecon Beacons of South Wales.
What happens when a fly lands on your food? It’s not so much about the fly as where it's been... (poop!)
The time a fly spends stomping around your meal increases the associated health risks, so the natural instinct to swat it away immediately is right on the money.
It doesn’t have gills but spends most of its life underwater – thanks to a special oxygen tank it creates
Wondering which spider wins the record for spending the longest time underwater? Step forward the diving bell spider
What's the most common spider in the world?
Wondering which spider is the most common in the world? We asked the experts and everyone is scratching their heads
"They can survive up to an hour in the icy water and use razor-sharp protruding teeth to scrape away ice."10 amazing, remarkable Antarctic animals...
Discover the most remarkable, captivating wildlife that thrives in one of the least hospitable places on Earth – Antarctica
"Their nests are made up of thousands of climate-controlled rooms, resembling a structure not too dissimilar to an urban office block"
When it comes to industrious hard work, leafcutter ants are the best in the business...
"It always pays to give the toilet a quick scan before you use it as a bite can cause sweating, muscle twitching, nausea and death can be very rapid"
It looks like a banana, has a painful mating dance and is the official slug of one of the largest US states
It may be called a banana slug, but you probably wouldn’t want this creature in your fruit bowl
"It's finer than human hair and can endure temperatures as low as -40°C." How on Earth do spiders make silk?
We take a look at just how spiders make their silk. Did you know they can make different fibre strengths for different tasks?
These bees aren’t vegetarian – they’re flesh-eaters and can smell food from half a mile away
Some bees have a taste for flesh, as the National Geographic TV series Secrets of the Bees explores
Two spiders were sent to the International Space Station. Scientists were surprised to see what happened next
Two ‘spidernauts’ were studied to see how they adapted to microgravity – with surprising results
“Imagine a rainbow-coloured kitten, shrink it down to the size of your fingertip and add a few more legs.” It’s time to rethink these tiny and cute killers
Tiny, cute and charismatic, jumping spiders open the door to a new world of eight-legged wonders
"Then there's those long, fang-tipped jaws..." 6 most cunning, devious spiders that manipulate, seduce and stalk their way to a successful kill
Meet the world's most cunning spiders, from the cannibalistic assassin spider, to the vampire spider with a penchant for human blood.
5.5 million bees found beneath New York State cemetery. It's one of the largest populations ever recorded
Millions of mining bees are living in the soil of Ithaca's East Lawn Cemetery, new study finds
"It's often infected with a parasite, which can be transmitted to humans. Untreated, it can lead to heart failure, damage to the nervous system and death.."
This is one bug you don't want to be 'kissed' by
