Original subtitles

.

ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: I'M DYLAN DREYER.

JOIN ME ON A TINY BUT EPIC ADVENTURE WHERE BLADES OF

GRASS TOWER LIKE SKYSCRAPERS AND RAINDROPS

FALL LIKE CANNON BALLS.

THE CREEPY, CRAWLY, WILD WORLD OF BUGS.

WE'RE HEADING DEEP INTO THE JUNGLE TO COME FACE TO

FACE WITH A COLLECTION OF CRITTERS SURE TO GIVE YOU

GOOSEBUMPS.

FROM THE LEAF EATING CATERPILLAR TO THE MEAT

EATING MANTIS.

WE'LL EXPLORE THE AMAZING LIVES OF INSECTS LIKE

NEVER BEFORE.

WE'LL WITNESS MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATIONS,

INTENSE STRUGGLES FOR SURVIVAL,

AND EVEN GET A FRONT ROW SEAT TO A TINY WRESTLING

MATCH.

THE JOURNEY STARTS NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: SOME INSECTS CAN WALK ON WATER,

OTHERS CAN SEE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT.

SOME CAN FLY MORE THAN THOUSANDS OF MILES,

OTHERS LIVE IN LARGE WELL ORGANIZED SOCIETIES.

THESE UNIQUE AND COMPLEX ANIMALS HAVE BEEN ON EARTH

FOR 400 MILLION YEARS AND ALTHOUGH EACH SPECIES IS

WILDLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER,

THEY ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ALL LIFE ON OUR PLANET.

EACH OF THESE EGGS HOLDS THE PROMISE OF AN INSECT.

IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR 400 MILLION YEARS.

THESE SUPREME SURVIVORS DOMINATE THE EARTH.

INSECTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO LIFE ON OUR PLANET.

THEY POLLENATE PLANTS AND RECYCLE WASTE.

BY MANAGING LIFE AND DEATH THEY ARE THE TRUE CARE

TAKERS OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

PAPILIO IS A CATERPILLAR, AT LEAST FOR NOW.

A STARTLING TRANSFORMATION LIES AHEAD OF HER.

PAPILIO'S EGG CASE IS FILLED WITH PROTEIN,

A GREAT HEAD START FOR HER INTREPID JOURNEY.

PAPILIO'S FAVORITE FOOD IS CITRUS LEAVES FROM THE

TREE WHERE SHE HATCHED.

IN JUST A FEW WEEKS, PAPILIO'S WEIGHT WILL

INCREASE 100 TIMES.

THAT'S LIKE YOU GET AS HEAVY AS A HIPPOPOTAMUS IN

A WEEKEND.

AS PAPILIO GROWS FAKE EYE SPOTS APPEAR.

THESE MAKE HER LOOK LIKE A SNAKE TO HELP SCARE OFF

ATTACKERS.

THIS IS HEROGULA, HE IS A PRAYING MANTIS.

HEROGULA IS PART OF A BIG FAMILY WITH AS MANY AS 200

HUNDRED BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

IN THE FIRST MINUTE OF HIS LIFE HE SLIDES DOWN A

THREAD AND CLIMBS HIS WAY UP INTO THE WORLD.

ALREADY A PERFECTLY FORMED MINI-MANTIS.

WITHIN A FEW DAYS, THIS TINY HUNTER WILL HAVE

CAUGHT HIS FIRST MEAL.

A FRUIT FLY THE SIZE OF A CRUMB.

LIKE ALL MANTIDS, HEROGULA IS A CARNIVORE.

HE EATS MEAT.

HE LIVES ALONE, HE HUNTS ALONE.

A FEW WEEKS HAVE PASSED AND HEROGULA IS NOW A

PRACTICED PREDATOR.

HIS WEAPONS ARE THE NEEDLE SHARP SPIKES THAT LINE HIS

HUNTING LEGS.

TO LOCK ONTO HIS TARGET, HEROGULA HAS SPECIAL EYES.

HUNDREDS OF SEPARATE LENSES MAKE EACH EYE SUPER

SENSITIVE TO THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT.

WITH TWO EYES, DISTANCE CAN BE JUDGED WITH DEADLY

ACCURACY.

HE DEVOURS THE HEAD AND FLIGHT MUSCLES FIRST.

THESE ARE THE BEST BITS, PACKED WITH PROTEIN.

INSECTS ARE EATING MACHINES.

NOTHING IS SAFE FROM THEIR JAWS.

A ROTTEN BANANA, HEAVEN TO A WEEVIL BEETLE.

THESE LITTLE SUCKERS ARE APHIDS,

DINING ON THE JUICE OF A ROSEBUD.

LEAF CUTTER ANTS WORK TOGETHER TO BRING HOME A

BUMPER HARVEST.

HEROGULA NEEDS TO MAKE ONE KILL A DAY.

PAPILIO MUST KEEP ON MUNCHING.

THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF GREENER IN HERE.

ENOUGH TO SATISFY EVEN THE HUNGRIEST CATERPILLAR.

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS ARE OFTEN CALLED THE WORLD'S

LARGEST PHARMACY.

A FANTASTIC AMOUNT OF MEDICINES WERE DISCOVERED

HERE.

ONE QUARTER OF NATURAL MEDICINES EVER FOUND.

THE TROPICAL RAINFORESTS COVER ONLY TWO PERCENT OF

THE EARTH'S SURFACE BUT THEY ARE HOME TO MOST OF

THE WORLD'S SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS AND

WITH GOOD REASON, THE JUNGLE HAS A MAGIC RECIPE,

SUN, STEAM, AND LOTS OF RAIN.

ALL THAT HEAT AND WATER CREATE THE IDEAL

CONDITIONS FOR LIFE.

IN THIS WEATHER EVEN BUGS NEED UMBRELLAS.

COMING UP NEXT, WE'LL MEET A COLLECTION OF CRAFTY

INSECTS THAT HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT.

AND LATER WE'LL FOLLOW A YOUNG MALE MANTIS ON A

QUEST FOR LOVE.

EVEN THOUGH HIS DATE WILL PROBABLY JUST EAT HIM.

DON'T GO AWAY, THE JOURNEY CONTINUES RIGHT AFTER

THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO JOURNEY,

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

OVER 40% OF ALL INSECT SPECIES AND MORE THAN 25%

OF KNOWN ANIMAL LIFEFORMS ON EARTH ARE BEETLES.

BEETLES ARE FOUND IN NEARLY EVERY HABITAT AND

CLIMATE AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE STRONGEST CREATURES

KNOWN TO EXIST.

THE RHINOCEROS BEETLE, NAMED FOR A LARGE HORN AT

THE FRONT OF ITS HEAD, CAN LIFT OVER 800 TIMES ITS

OWN BODY WEIGHT AND WHEN TWO OF THEM DECIDE TO

FIGHT IT'S LIKE WATCHING AN EPIC BATTLE OF TINY

SUPERHEROES.

A MIGHTY CLASH IS BEGINNING ON THE FLOOR

BELOW.

THE AIM?

FLIP YOUR OPPONENT.

THE WEAPONS?

THREE VICIOUS SPIKES.

THE PRIZE?

A FEMALE.

THE RULES?

FIRST ONE TO HIT THE DECK IS THE LOSER.

FOR THEIR SIZE THESE RHINO BEETLES ARE AMONGST THE

STRONGEST CREATURES ON EARTH.

BOTH OF THESE GLADIATORS ARE BATTLE WEARY.

BUT THE WINNER STILL HAS THE STRENGTH TO TAKE A

BOW.

HIS PRIZE IS A FEMALE WAITING FOR HIM.

THE LOSER LEAVES TOWN.

AS MUCH AS 75% OF ALL SPECIES LIVE IN THE

RAINFORESTS OF THE WORLD.

SO MANY IN FACT, BIOLOGISTS BELIEVE THAT

THERE ARE MANY MILLIONS OF UNIQUE PLANTS,

ANIMALS, INSECTS, FUNGUS, AND MICRO-ORGANISMS

INVISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE STILL UNDISCOVERED IN THE

JUNGLE.

THIS LITTLE ANT INTERACTS WITH WATER VERY

DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU AND ME.

BECAUSE THE ANT IS SO SMALL,

IT CAN CLIMB INSIDE A DROP OF WATER TO BATHE AND

DRINK.

IN HER SEARCH FOR FOOD, PAPILIO HAS STRAYED INTO A

DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD.

HER SIMPLE EYES CAN ONLY DISTINGUISH LIGHT FROM

DARK.

SHE HASN'T SPOTTED HEROGULA.

BUT HE'S ALREADY EATEN AND PAYS NO ATTENTION.

LIKE ALL INSECTS, HEROGULA WEARS HIS SKELETON ON THE

OUTSIDE.

IT'S MADE OF A STRONG AND VERSATILE SUBSTANCE CALLED

CHITIN.

ON HEROGULA IT'S HARD AND PROTECTS HIM LIKE A SUIT

OF ARMOR.

PAPILIO IS NOT BUILT FOR BATTLE BUT SHE IS A

CHAMPION EATER.

TO ACCOMMODATE HER EVER EXPANDING WAISTLINE SHE

WEARS A SOFT COAT OF CHITIN.

PAPILIO IS BEGINNING HER EXTRAORDINARY

TRANSFORMATION.

SHE'S SPUN A SINGLE SILKEN THREAD WHICH SUSPENDS HER

FROM A STEM.

WITHIN HOURS, HER CATERPILLAR COAT WILL

SPLIT AND PEEL AWAY.

BENEATH SHE IS SHELTERED INSIDE A HARD CASE.

DISGUISED AS A LEAF, SHE IS SAFE FROM HUNGRY EYES.

THE FOREST IS FULL OF SUCH DECEPTIONS.

A THORN BUG LOOKS JUST LIKE A THORN.

UNTIL HIS NEIGHBOR MOVES.

IN THIS FOREST DEAD LEAVES WALK.

THE TRILOBITE BEETLE'S ARMOR BLENDS WITH THE

BARK.

WHO WOULD BOTHER WITH A BALL OF FLUFF?

IT'S A LADY BIRD LARVAE IN DISGUISE.

PAPILIO IS STILL HIDDEN, CAMOUFLAGED AS A LEAF.

INSIDE, AN ASTONISHING TRANSFORMATION HAS BEGUN.

PAPILIO IS MORE THAN A NAME.

IT'S AN ANCIENT WORD FROM THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE OF

LATIN AND IT MEANS BUTTERFLY.

SOON PAPILIO WILL FLY.

DON'T GO AWAY, JOURNEY WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL INSECTS ON OUR

PLANET ARE BUTTERFLIES.

THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FOUR STAGE LIFECYCLE,

BEGINNING AS A TINY EGG LAID ON A LEAF,

HATCHING INTO A HUNGRY CATERPILLAR.

EVENTUALLY RETREATING INTO A COCOON AND FINALLY

EMERGING AS AN ADULT BUTTERFLY.

THESE AMAZING CREATURES HAVE CAPTURED HUMAN

IMAGINATION FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

SYMBOLIZING REBIRTH, FREEDOM,

AND BEAUTY FOR CULTURES AROUND THE GLOBE.

TWO WEEKS HAVE PASSED, IT'S THE DAWN OF A NEW

DAY, FOR PAPILIO IT'S A NEW BEGINNING.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: IN THE MIRACLE OF METAMORPHOSIS HER

CATERPILLAR FORM HAS BEEN LIQUIFIED INTO A MILKY

SOUP AND REASSEMBLED AS A BUTTERFLY.

PAPILIO'S ADULT LIFE LASTS A MERE FEW WEEKS.

HER NEW WINGS SLOWLY FILL WITH BLOOD.

HER SHIMMERING SCALES CATCH THE WARM SUN,

ONLY NOW CAN SHE DISCOVER THE FREEDOM OF FLIGHT.

BACK AT THE HUT, HEROGULA HAS OUTGROWN HIS ARMOR AND

LEFT IT HANGING ON A BRANCH.

AFTER SHEDDING HIS SHELL, HEROGULA IS TIRED AND

VULNERABLE.

HE MUST STAY VERY STILL.

THE TABLES HAVE TURNED, THE HUNTER IS NOW THE

HUNTED.

A LUCKY ESCAPE FOR HEROGULA BUT NOT SO FOR

THE CRICKET.

IT'S THEIR SKILL AT GETTING AROUND THAT MAKES

BUGS WORLD CLASS TRAVELERS.

ALL INSECTS ARE HEXAPODS, MEANING THEY HAVE 6 LEGS.

CATERPILLARS APPEAR TO HAVE MORE BUT WHEN THEY

TRANSFORM INTO A BUTTERFLY,

THESE PROLEGS WILL BE REDUCED TO 6 AS WELL.

HERE'S ANOTHER DEFENSE, MAKE NOISE.

OR LOOK BIG AND MEAN, ALTHOUGH IF YOU SHOW OFF

TOO MUCH, YOUR DEFENSE PLANS CAN BACKFIRE.

TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE IT'S BEST TO NOT STICK

OUT.

NO LONGER A FLAT FOOTED CATERPILLAR,

PAPILIO HAS BEEN QUICK TO FIND A MATE.

REPRODUCTION IS WHAT BUGS DO BEST.

IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DOMINATE THE PLANET.

AFTER HOURS SPENT LOCKED TOGETHER,

THE PAIR WILL SOON PART.

THE PAPILIO WILL LAY HER EGGS,

ONE BY ONE ON CITRUS LEAVES.

HEROGULA IS ALSO COURTING.

THE FEMALE CHARMS HIM WITH A WIGGLE AND SEDUCTIVE

SCENT.

SHE CAN NOT BE TRUSTED.

FOR MANTIDS, MATING IS A DANGEROUS GAME IN WHICH

FEMALES FREQUENTLY BITE THE HEADS OFF THEIR

ADMIRERS.

HEROGULA MUST ADVANCE WITH CAUTION.

HE STROKES THE FEMALE'S BACK WITH HIS ANTENNAE,

HIS SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON A DELICATE TOUCH.

AFTER ONLY ONE NIGHT TOGETHER,

200 MINI BABY MANTIDS WILL FOLLOW.

HEROGULA HAS PLAYED HIS PART AND KEPT HIS HEAD.

DON'T GO AWAY, JOURNEY WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: THERE ARE AT LEAST A BILLION,

BILLION INSECTS ON EARTH.

THINK ABOUT THAT NUMBER.

JUST ONE SQUARE MILE CAN HOLD AS MANY INSECTS AS

THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.

THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF THE WORLD'S INSECT POPULATION

IS ABOUT 70 TIMES THAT OF ALL HUMANS,

NOW THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF BUGS.

BUT WHERE THERE ARE BUGS, BUG HUNTERS WILL FOLLOW.

THIS COLONY OF 3 MILLION BATS WILL DEVOUR MORE THAN

2 AND A HALF TONS OF INSECTS EVERY NIGHT.

IT'S NO SAFER ON THE GROUND.

WHILE SOME HUNTERS OF THE NIGHT WILL GO OUT TO DINE,

OTHERS WAIT FOR HOME DELIVERY.

PAPILIO HAS LOST HER APPETITE FOR LEAVES,

NOW SHE DRINKS SWEET NECTAR.

PAPILIO DIPS HER PROBOSCIS LIKE A STRAW,

DEEP INTO THE FLOWERS AND DRINKS.

AS SHE MOVES FROM BLOOM TO BLOOM SHE CARRIES POLLEN,

THIS SERVICE IS CRUCIAL.

WITHOUT POLLINATION, FLOWERS LIKE THESE COULD

NOT EXIST.

PAPILIO'S LIFE HAS RUN A NATURAL COURSE.

AGAINST THE ODDS SHE HAS COMPLETED ONE OF THE

GREATEST JOURNEYS IN NATURE.

FROM CATERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY.

THOUGH PAPILIO'S LIFE WAS BRIEF,

IT HAS NOT BEEN WASTED.

THIS WRIGGLING, HUNGRY BUG IS PAPILIO'S OFFSPRING.

JUST LIKE ITS MOTHER, THIS TINY CATERPILLAR IS

BEGINNING IT'S OWN INETREPID JOURNEY JOINING

TRILLIONS OF OTHER INSECTS.

THE LATEST RECRUIT INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF

BUGS.

ALMOST ALL OF US CONSIDER BUGS TO BE A CREEPY,

CRAWLY NUISANCE, LITTLE MORE THAN PESTS TO BE

SWATTED AWAY, BUT REMEMBER THERE ARE AROUND 1.4

BILLION BUGS FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING ON EARTH.

WITH NUMBERS LIKE THAT, MAYBE WE SHOULD TREAT

THESE IMPORTANT AND FASCINATING CREATURES WITH

A LITTLE MORE RESPECT.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR JOURNEY INTO THE WILD

WORLD OF BUGS, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,

SAFE TRAVELS.

♪ CREDITS ♪

♪ CREDITS ♪