Bugs That Rule the World

Investigate current fears of global insect decline, revealing that bugs play critical roles in the ecosystem of nearly every environment on the planet. A look at the staggering diversity of body plans and behaviors of insects also uncovers our long history of dependence on them, and how even in some of the world’s most remote corners, this relationship may now be on the verge of collapse.

When it comes to the insect apocalypse, honeybees get all the buzz. But there are thousands of species of wild bees, as well as moths and butterflies that play a crucial role in keeping the fields and forests fruitful. Explore the diversity of the world’s pollinators, discovering their extraordinary life cycles that defy the imagination.

Explore the anatomies and hunting skills of insects that are some of the stealthiest killers in the animal kingdom: Praying mantises and aquatic insects. With bodies tailor-made for killing, stereoscopic vision and an ingenious talent for camouflage, these insects leave no hope for their prey. Their survival depends on their ability to hunt, and their engineering has evolved to do just that.

Explore the dizzying diversity of the world’s beetles, nature’s original clean-up crew. With 400,000 described species and as many as 12 million more to go, Beetles come in an unfathomable range of shapes, sizes and colors. With exoskeletons and hard covers for their wings, beetles live in almost every habitat on the planet, fulfilling critical roles in keeping the ecosystem in balance.