© 2025 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Longstanding Tradition of Beetle Battles in Thailand

Season 1 Episode 4 | 8m 19s

In Northern Thailand, the longstanding tradition of beetle fights is a fascinating spectacle. Ummat Somjee befriends local beetle fighters to understand how locals have raised these beetles to fight for sport. In order to raise strong beetles, and get them to fight, the Thai locals pay close attention to the Rhinoceros Beetle’s behavior, diet, and natural habitat.

Extras
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.
Monarch butterflies winter in the fir forests of Michoacan, Mexico, after an epic migration.
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.”