New environments. New challenges. New insects. National Geographic's A Real Bug's Life is back for a second season full of tiny insects attempting to survive in vast and complex worlds.
Dr. Tim Cockerill, entomologist, science communicator and insect-wrangler-turned-fire-eater, helped capture and broadcast insect behavior that is rarely seen outside of natural ecosystems to audiences worldwide. When describing the process of filming an orchid bee, Cockerill says, "We can take artificial perfumes... and we can entice them so they can fly right in front of our camera."
Cockerill's passion for studying these tiny insects runs deep. He grew up in East Yorkshire, England and became fascinated by the vast amount of insect diversity found in his suburban backyard, consequently deciding to pursue a career in insect ecology at the University of Cambridge.
According to Cockerill, this new season entailed a new set of challenges for production. After spending months choosing which environments to film in and capturing animal behavior on camera, he hopes the series can "communicate the idea that you can turn up anywhere on Planet Earth and there are fascinating bugs doing incredible things right under our feet."
Viewers can expect to see a wide range of new creatures and ecosystems in this new series spanning North America, Europe, Asia and more. From "femme fatale" fireflies that mimic the mating sequence of other males to capture and eat them to tiger beetles that temporarily go blind from running so fast, Cockerill believes these creatures are as impressive to learn about as they were difficult to film.
"[W]e're facing a biodiversity crisis where climate change and human disruption of habitat and the increased use of pesticides are hitting bugs completely hard," said Cockerill. "[We] want people to fall in love with with the stories that bugs can tell and the stories in their lives."
As for viewers, he hopes A Real Bug's Life will serve as an entry point into the fascinating world of science and insects for those outside of traditional academic circles. "We want to tell stories that are based on scientific research, but we want to open it up to an audience that might never have thought to watch a natural history documentary about bugs before."
"[J]ust being surrounded by that diversity, but also be having the tools to unlock that diversity and to tease the animals out of the habitat and realize that this is the pinnacle of 4 billion years of evolution on Planet Earth."