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Ummat Somjee Researches Flag-Footed Bugs in Panamá

Season 1 Episode 1 | 6m 19s

In the rainforest of Panamá, evolutionary biologist Ummat Somjee researches the enigmatic behavior of a family of flag-footed bugs. By creating a quasi-natural lab he calls ‘The Bug Hut’ Somjee is able to observe the flag-footed bugs intimately. Somjee discovers how these insects use their unique appendages to scare predators away.

Extras
On the plains of South Africa, an army of dung beetles recycle the dung of large mammals.
Ummat Somjee goes to Thailand to observe the cultural tradition of fighting beetles.
Gavin Svenson heads to the Brazilian rainforest to sample the diversity of mantises.
Dragonfly expert Jessica Ware heads to Guyuna to sample dragonfly diversity.
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.
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.”