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The Epic Migration of Monarch Butterflies

Season 1 Episode 2 | 4m 58s

In one of the most singular migratory events in the animal world, monarch butterflies spend their winters in the fir forests of Michoacan, Mexico. It takes multiple generations to make this trip, and when the monarchs arrive they completely cover the fir trees of the high altitude forests. Conservationist Homero Gonzalez describes the meaning of these monarchs to the local culture.

Extras
Ummat Somjee goes to Thailand to observe the cultural tradition of fighting beetles.
On the plains of South Africa, an army of dung beetles recycle the dung of large mammals.
Dragonfly expert Jessica Ware heads to Guyuna to sample dragonfly diversity.
Gavin Svenson heads to the Brazilian rainforest to sample the diversity of mantises.
Jesse Barber and Akito Kawahara study the evolutionary arms race between bats and moths.
A four-part investigation into insect declines, exploring their diversity and ecological importance.
Urban Ecologist Sylvana Ross visits Baltimore, Maryland, to find Tapinoma Sessile.
Evolutionary Biologist Ummat Somjee describes his research on Flag-footed bugs in Panamá.
Beetles are the world’s most abundant animals, called “the most important species on the planet.”
Praying mantises and aquatic insects reveal cunning physical adaptations for ruthless survival.
Pollinators – bees, moths and butterflies – bring color to the world and put food on our plates.
Could a world without insects survive? Scientists investigate the global insect “apocalypse.”