Bugs That Rule the World

Searching for Praying Mantises in the Brazilian Amazon

Mantis expert Gavin Svenson heads to the Brazilian amazon to sample the diversity of mantises in the forest. It is important for Svenson to understand the and quantify the number of mantises in the amazon, he describes the problems with declines in that we cannot know what we are losing if we don’t know what we even have. Svenson wants to find a mantis he described and named after his daughter.

Searching for Praying Mantises in the Brazilian Amazon

10m 7s

  • Beetlemania: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Beetlemania

    S1 E4 - 53m 48s

    Beetles are the world’s most diverse and abundant species, and they serve critical ecological roles in almost every environment. "Beetle Mania" explores why these colorful and clever creatures have been called “the most important animal on Earth.”

  • Eat or Be Eaten: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Eat or Be Eaten

    S1 E3 - 53m 19s

    Explore the cutthroat world of insects and adaptations for survival. From praying mantis martial arts to dragonflies and aerial hunting, scientists investigate how nature has equipped insects with smarts, agility and a wild array of weapons.

  • The Lifegivers: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Lifegivers

    S1 E2 - 53m 19s

    The world’s essential pollinators – bees, moths and butterflies – bring color to the world and put food on our plates. Far from fragile, they’re hardy creatures living complex lives, featuring physical transformations and mind-blowing migrations.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.