Bugs That Rule The World

Look at what a global insect decline could do to our planet. Uncover our historical dependence on these tiny animals, the vital roles they play in our ecosystems, and the reasons why our fragile relationship to them is in danger worldwide.

Learn how bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators keep our fields and forests fruitful, and weigh what life would be like if these busy bugs vanished. Witness a mysterious butterfly pilgrimage and a moth’s clever way of escaping hungry bats.

Go up against predatory insects that are tailor-made for killing. See why the terrifying praying mantis has the agility of a martial artist and an appetite for everything from flies to hummingbirds, then go hunting in mid-air with deadly dragonflies.

Get a sanitation lesson from nature’s original cleanup crew. Learn how beetles keep ecosystems in balance with clever biological weapons like tusks and toxic sprays, then see why the 6,000-plus species of dung beetles are the world’s unsung heroes.