Insects & Science Videos

Monarch butterflies have four visible legs, two legs tucked under the head, bright orange wings and white spots over the whole body. Discover the features of both male and female monarchs with...

To find butterfly chrysalises and moth cocoons, look on branches, under leaves, near water and on plants that caterpillars like to eat. Locate chrysalises and cocoons before predators find them...

Taking care of a butterfly cocoon or chrysalis requires putting it in a large container in the springtime until it hatches or keeping it in a cool environment during the winter. Care for a...

Many different butterflies are yellow, but a two common ones are the Tiger Swallowtail and the Sulfur butterfly. Identify different species of yellow butterflies with information from a butterfly...

Butterflies usually hatch from their chrysalis cocoons in the spring, but they can hatch any time of year in tropical climates. Understand the variables that affect when butterflies hatch with...

Butterflies build chrysalis cocoons by finding a sheltered area, hanging upside-down and shedding its skin to expose the chrysalis. Discover the chrysalis stage of this insect's life with...

A butterfly will stay in a chrysalis from five days to a year, depending on the time of year, the climate and the environmental state. Find out why some butterflies stay in their chrysalises...

The life span of a monarch butterfly ranges from three weeks to nine months, depending on whether it is a migratory monarch or not. Explore the life cycle of monarchs with information from a...

Butterfly food is made out of any sugars, such as sugar water, over-ripe fruit and nectar from flowers. Find out how butterflies get nutrients from nature with information from a butterfly...

A caterpillar turns into a butterfly through a process of molting after it chews itself out of the egg, as the chrysalis and chrysalides exist inside the caterpillar as it grows and sheds skin....

Taking care of a butterfly house depends on its scale, but planting flowers that butterflies like, hanging supplemental nectar feeders, providing fruit trees and maintaining proper light will...

Butterfly farming is a huge industry around the world from large-scale conservatories to private backyard butterfly gardens. Discover how these beautiful insects are grown with information from a...

Dragonflies can fly at a rate between 30 and 60 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to about 19 to 38 miles per hour, because of their double set of wings. Learn more about a dragonfly's...

Fruit flies live only between 10 to 18 days, but they can reproduce very rapidly and start the metamorphosis all over again. Discover the fruit fly's life cycle with information from a high school...

Fruit flies are generally attracted to sugar, as are most other flies, but they are particularly fond of over-ripe fruit with its high sugar content. Find out what else attracts fruit flies with...

The tarantula is a hairy spider that belongs to the arthropod invertebrate family, and it can be one of the biggest spiders in existence. Learn how tarantulas catch their prey with information...

Wasps create their nests by chewing on wood pulp, mixing it with saliva and producing a papery substance that is layered up into a nest form. Find out how wasps make their nests with information...

Fruit flies grow through a process called metamorphosis, beginning as an egg, hatching into a larva, turning into a pupa and finally becoming an adult fruit fly. Discover the fruit fly's life...

Insects eliminate waste by passing food and water through malpighian tubules that convert the waste into uric acid, which is then excreted from the insect's body. Find out more about a bug's...

A bee is able to fly by beating their wings at a tremendous speed, which allows them to simply hover or to move through space. Get more information about a bee's flight, which is similar to a...

A flea's biology includes being an invertebrate and, more specifically, an arthropod with a thick exoskeleton. Find out more about the biology of fleas, including their habits and eggs, with...

The different types of spiders, such as the black widow, daddy long legs, banana spider and tarantula, all belong to the arthropod invertebrate group of insects with legs and joints. Discover the...

Fruit flies come from the eggs laid by other fruit flies, and they are mostly attracted to over-ripe fruit due to its high sugar content. Explore the fruit fly, and get rid of rotting fruit to rid...

Fruit flies do not bite because, instead of teeth, they have proboscis injectors that help them eat over-ripe fruit more efficiently. Discover more about how a fruit fly eats with information from...

Mosquitoes can bite cats, but it is rare for a cat to have an allergic reaction or to even get heart worms from the mosquito bite. Keep an eye on a mosquito-bitten feline with information from a...

Snakes do not have eyelids, but instead they have a small scale above each eye that protects them from irritation. See how a snake sheds its skin and protects its eyes with information from a high...

Identifying spiders in Utah requires looking for the goldenrod spider, which is very round and pudgy, or the wolf spider, which is a slender, hairy spider that carries its young on its back in a...

Spiders common to Pennsylvania are the arrow-shaped micrathena, commonly found in woodland or garden areas, and the venusta orchard spider, which has yellow, green and brown coloring. Identify...

Spiders of the Midwest region of the United States include the arrow-shaped micrathena, which is found mostly in gardens and wooded areas, the brown recluse, which is very common across the entire...

Two common spiders found in New Mexico are the Western black widow, identified by the red hourglass on the female's back, and the brown recluse, which has yellow-orange coloring and gray-colored...

Spiders in Colorado can be the black and yellow garden spider, which spins elaborate webs, or the brown recluse, which has a violin-shaped pattern across its body. Identify spiders in Colorado...

Spiders common to Connecticut include the American house spider, which has yellow and brown coloring, and the Western black widow, which can be identified by the red hourglass on the backs of the...

Eastern Oregon spiders can be identified as the American house spider, which has yellow and brown streaking across its abdomen, or the daring jumping spider, which is a very small spider that...

Spiders in Illinois can be the arrow-shaped micrathena, commonly found in woodland or garden areas, or the American house spider, which has streaks and splotches over its abdomen and sides....

Spiders that are common to the New Jersey area include the brown recluse spider, which is fairly common across the entire United States, and the arrow-shaped micrathena, which has a dark red...

Northern California spiders can be identified as the American house spider, which has yellow and brown coloring, or the wolf spider, which is long, slender and hairy. Recognize these common...

Florida spiders can be identified as venusta orchard spiders, which are yellow, green and brown, or arrow-shaped micrathena, which can be found in wooded and garden areas. Find various spiders in...

Identifying spiders in Alaska requires looking for the American house spider, which is bulbous and splotched, or the wolf spider, which has long, slender, hairy legs. Watch out for Alaskan spiders...

Bees use the parts of their mouths to make nectar a little bit at a time, layering it on the walls of their hive. Discover how water needs to evaporate to turn nectar into honey with information...

Hornets are not fans of cold weather, so hornets are usually the most active in the summertime. Look for hornet nests in the early spring with information from a biology teacher in this free video...

The life cycle of a hornet begins with eggs that are placed in the cells of the queen's nest. Learn about drone and worker hornets with information from a biology teacher in this free video on...

A hornet is a wasp, but not all wasps are hornets. Learn about hornets, and the fact that they're a type of wasp that isn't native to North America, with information from a biology teacher in this...

Japanese hornets usually build their nests higher up in the branches of trees or on the eaves of a roof. Find out why it's important to be careful around Japanese hornets with information from a...

A Japanese hornet is 2 inches long and has a 3-inch wingspan. Identify the Japanese hornet by their orange coloration and brown, compound eyes with information from a biology teacher in this free...

Wasps, like most insects, have a three-part body, and they tend to not be covered in hair. Find out how to identify different types of wasps, such as spider wasps and cuckoo wasps, with...

Bees usually have a body with three parts, and they are almost always covered in hair that's used for carrying pollen. Find out how to look for bees by their thick thoraxes with information from a...

A tarantula wasp is an insect with a complicated life cycle, one which involves using a tarantula to lay its eggs. Learn about the metamorphosis of the tarantula wasp with information from a...

Fire ants are very little in size and are best known for their half-gallon mounds. Find out how to identify a fire ant in North America with information from an entomologist in this free video on...

Maggots are essentially the larval stage of flies, and they're often found in carcasses and other decaying matter. Learn about the hooks that maggots use for feeding with information from an...

Queen ants have wings when they're mating, but the wings typically are broken off after the reproductive stage. Discover how a colony takes care of a queen ant with information from an...