Australia has some of
the brightest...
..boldest and most alarming
creepy-crawlies
on the planet.
In their miniature world,
nothing is quite
what it seems.
Spiders look like ants.
Insects move like leaves.
They transform themselves
for almost every purpose...
..from master-builder...
..to assassin.
Some work together.
Others, alone.
Each one is part of the
great struggle for life...
..in this vast,
ancient continent.
Home to some of
the planet's most unusual...
..and fascinating animals.
These are the Secret Lives
of Australia's
Bugs And Butterflies.
The wet tropics
of Queensland,
in the far north-east
of Australia.
Rainforest dominates here.
(Bird and insect noises)
To the human eye, there may
be nothing to see but green.
But, from the canopy...
to the forest floor...
..every inch of
this fecund ecosystem
is packed with creatures.
Some are large
and easily visible.
But there is another,
more hidden, world here.
A small one,
filled with life
that's complex, rich
and utterly ruthless.
A world of
insects and spiders.
(Birdsong)
Nowhere else in Australia
has such a high diversity
of bugs as here,
in Queensland's wet tropics.
This is a brutal
eat-or-be-eaten environment.
And they've developed
strategies to survive.
There are 400 species of
butterfly in Australia.
For 60 per cent of them,
the tropics of Queensland
are home.
Some are breathtaking.
The Red Lacewing.
Australia's only
bright red butterfly.
And one of the few
predominantly red butterflies
in the world.
The colors of
the Cairns Birdwing,
endemic to Australia,
are even more spectacular.
At around
six-and-a-half inches across,
this many-hued giant is
the largest butterfly
in Australia.
From the bright orange
Cruiser...
..to the patterned
Common Eggfly...
..each butterfly adds
its own dash of color.
They bring incredible
vibrancy to the forest.
The dazzling shades and
designs of their markings
are extraordinary.
But only for
the briefest of times.
Most butterflies live for no
more than four to six weeks.
Their wings are unable to
heal from any kind of damage.
Each beat takes its toll.
The faster
the insect flies...
..the more damage
its wings suffer...
..and the shorter its life.
(Birdsong)
(Insects buzzing)
Egg-laying is
where it all begins.
These miniature orbs
are well-camouflaged.
Each butterfly lays hundreds
over the course of
its short life.
Here, a Red Lacewing lays her
eggs on the stem of a leaf.
She's not the first
to use this nursery.
Like a shoal of fish,
or a flock of birds...
..the Red Lacewing seeks
safety in numbers
by laying in groups.
(Screeching)
For these eggs
of the Cairns Birdwing,
the time has come to hatch.
It's been eight days
since this egg was laid.
The tiny caterpillar has
another seven to nine weeks
to go
before it becomes
a butterfly.
As it feeds,
it'll grow rapidly
and shed its skin
at least four times.
Caterpillars grow in stages.
As they get too big
for their skin,
they molt it off
and replace it
with one that's
a little more spacious.
These transformations
require a lot of energy...
..and that means
a lot of food.
(Munching)
This caterpillar
lets nothing go to waste...
..including its old skin.
It's not really known why
caterpillars eat
the skin they've shed.
It might be for
extra nutrition.
Or it might be to remove all
evidence of their presence,
so predators have no reason
to come and take
a closer look.
In the forest,
nothing is safe.
Each individual
is in perpetual danger.
They must be on
constant guard.
This tiny caterpillar strays
right into the jaws of
a ferocious weaver ant.
Another ant arrives to try
and wrestle the prize away.
The caterpillar is caught in
a tug-of-war.
Escape is impossible.
(Birdsong)
All caterpillars must protect
themselves as best they can.
They evade,
they fight and they poison
in their struggle to survive.
The caterpillar of the
Common Eggfly is armed with
enough sharp spines
to deter most birds.
The caterpillar of
the Cruiser
is a bit of a bruiser.
It has the longest spines
of any butterfly larva.
Its body is also
highly toxic.
This caterpillar
spends its short life
feeding on poisonous vines.
The vines do no harm
to the larva itself,
but they make its body
noxious to any predator.
Bright warning colors, known
as aposematic coloration,
aim to deter attack.
They let predators know
these caterpillars are toxic.
The caterpillar of
the Cairns Birdwing
is an even more
dangerous target.
It too eats leaves
full of toxins
so its prickly body
becomes poisonous
to predators as well.
But it also has
a secret weapon.
From its noxious food,
it creates
a foul-tasting chemical.
When threatened, it can
fire out this vile liquid
from the horns in its head.
Which just might be enough
to discourage an attacker.
(Birdsong)
Two weeks have passed.
It's time for the caterpillar
of the Cruiser butterfly
to move into
the next stage of its life.
It must become a chrysalis.
The Cruiser caterpillar has
moved away from the plant
it's been feeding on
to one that provides
plenty of leaves
and, importantly, cover.
Having prepared a pad of
silk on the host leaf,
it now anchors on with
a clump of special hooks
known as the cremaster.
Under its skin,
the chrysalis forms.
It will remain a chrysalis
between seven and 12 days.
A long time to be
a sitting target.
But its leaf-like shape
blends in with the foliage.
(Birds chattering)
The caterpillar of
the Cairns Birdwing
has a different technique.
It too creates a pad of silk
to anchor it to the stem...
..but it then spins itself
a thin thread
that functions as a girdle.
Shedding the last of
its caterpillar skins...
..it transforms into
a chrysalis.
Over three to four weeks,
its cells gradually
become liquid
and reorganize themselves
into a new structure.
The final metamorphosis
is beginning.
(Chatter of birds)
(Insects buzzing)
Down on the forest floor,
life continues.
Millipedes look for food.
They feast on
decaying vegetation...
..and perform a vital role
in the ecosystem
by breaking down
dead plant material.
(Frogs croaking)
At the waterside,
frogs abound.
They lay their eggs in the
calmest water they can find.
This aptly-named giant frog
lays around a thousand eggs
at a time.
The tadpoles and young frogs
become food for
other species.
In the air, dragonflies dart.
They can fly faster than
almost any other insect
and reach speeds of
36 miles an hour.
But even their agility and
swiftness may not be enough
to protect them
from the Archer Fish.
It favors mangrove estuaries,
but ventures upriver.
Its powerful water jets
can hit an insect around
six-and-a-half feet away.
For a caterpillar,
choosing a pupating site
too near the water
is dangerous.
(Lively classical music)
Four weeks after entering
her chrysalis phase,
a female Cairns Birdwing
emerges into the light.
It's one of the most
extraordinary sights
in the insect world.
The leftover cells she didn't
need to form her new body
remain behind in a liquid
called meconium.
She pumps fluid
from her abdomen
into the veins of
her delicate new wings.
It takes a few hours
for them to harden and dry.
Then...she's ready
for flight.
Her hind wings
act as rudders..
..as she makes sharp turns
to avoid any predators.
The butterfly has just
six weeks to live.
She must mate
as soon as possible
and pass on her genes
to the next generation.
The spectacular emerald-hued
males patrol the area,
looking for
newly-emerged females.
A male has spotted her.
Now is the moment
to get down to business.
The male is smaller than her.
Should they be disturbed
during this vital act,
she will use her larger
wingspan to fly off
and take the male with her.
They mate for up to 14 hours.
He'll fertilize
each one of her eggs.
It's thought that he may
remain with her after mating
to prevent any other male
from gaining access.
Their lifespan is so short...
..but, by mating,
they allow the circle
of life to continue.
Soon the next generation
of shape-shifters
will begin
their transformation.
And, just like when their
parents were caterpillars,
they will use camouflage,
poison and mimicry
in their battles
to defend themselves.
Mastering the art of disguise
is a matter of survival.
(Kookaburra laughing)
These leaf insects are found
throughout Australia
and Asia.
Nicknamed walking leaves,
they're the size, shape
and color
of the surrounding foliage.
Their strange gyrations are
also a sort of camouflage.
Shaky wobbles mimic the way
leaves sway in the breeze.
It's a good disguise,
useful in deflecting
the attention of predators
like the grey goshawk, which
lives in the same forest.
(Water cascading)
Other insects use
a different kind of mimicry.
For many bugs,
wandering into the path of
these voracious weaver ants
means certain death.
Aggressive and territorial.
Weaver ants would rather die
than relinquish
their territory.
They work together
to overpower...
..then dismember their prey.
They spread out
like a giant net...
..letting nothing escape.
An established colony
of weaver ants
can hunt down millions
of victims each year.
This spider
doesn't stand a chance.
However, this species of
jumping spider
is an expert at disguise.
It's tricked the ants into
thinking it's one of them.
The ants rely less on vision
and more on chemical signals
to tell them what is friend
and what is foe.
By adopting
their chemical signature,
the spider is able
to remain undetected.
The spider's
chemical mimicry
isn't just
a clever defense mechanism,
but also an aggressive
predatory ploy.
Because the ants think
the spider is one of them,
they won't stop it
entering their nest
where it will prey on their
eggs, larvae and pupae.
To be able to penetrate
the defenses
of the weaver ant nest
is remarkable.
It's one of the most
formidable fortresses
in the forest.
And it's built by
a mighty army
of these highly resourceful
ants.
Found in Africa and Asia
as well as Australia,
a colony of weaver ants can
be half a million strong.
Alone, a single weaver ant
is tiny...
..and vulnerable.
But together,
they become a mighty,
many-celled workforce.
This is
the definition of teamwork.
They're getting ready to
construct a new base-camp.
The ants grip with
their legs and jaws...
..and collectively pull
the leaves together.
This is when the weaver ants
really live up to their name.
They carry ant larvae to
the edge of the leaves,
where the larvae produce
fine gossamers of silk
from their silk glands.
The workers then maneuver
the larvae back and forth.
They position the larvae's
heads next to the leaves.
As the larvae produce
the silk,
it adheres to
the leaf surfaces.
It's a living loom.
The result is
a perfectly-camouflaged
new field garrison from
which the ants send out
their territory patrols
and hunting parties.
Teamwork isn't just for
hunting and building.
These ants are transporting
one of their huge
pupating queens.
Their nest
has been disturbed
and they're moving her
to a safe house
while they make repairs.
When she's fully grown,
she'll develop wings.
Her job will be
to fly to a new area
and found a fresh colony.
She's around four times
their size...
..but together,
they make light work.
(Insects buzzing)
The weaver ant isn't the
only hunter in the canopy.
Spread between the trees,
a giant, sprawling web
holds the remains of
insects large and small.
It's been created
by tent spiders.
They're common in tropical
Asia and Australia.
Each spider,
the width of a man's hand,
has created
a dense web around
one-and-a-half feet across.
Like the weaver ants,
they too benefit from
their joint labors.
Unusually for arachnids,
tent spiders
live in colonies.
They set up their webs
close to each other.
So even though a single web
is relatively small,
together, the webs can cover
entire sections of canopy.
And the neighborly spiders
maximize their catch.
(Wings buzzing)
Hatching insects
usually fly straight upwards
as they emerge.
Anything passing
close enough
can get caught up
in the communal web,
even small birds.
Vibrations run through
the web,
triggering the closest
spider to move in
and inject its venom
into the victim.
Incapacitated,
the prey becomes easier to
wrap up in the spider's silk.
In no time at all,
it's totally helpless.
Anything the spider
can't eat now
will keep nicely until later.
These webs
will stay in place
until strong winds
or heavy rain destroy them.
The tent spiders then simply
rebuild together.
Down on the forest floor,
this cricket
is about to enter
the lair of one of Australia's
most terrifying predators.
The Eastern tarantula.
She's one of the biggest
spiders in the country.
Up to six inches across.
Her venom is powerful enough
to kill a dog.
This spider
lives on the ground
in the drier areas
of the forest.
She's excavated a burrow
around three feet deep.
Alone, she waits just inside
the burrow entrance.
The tarantula is
an ambush predator.
This spider relies
more on touch than sight.
As she patiently waits,
the cricket passes
near her burrow.
Its movements are producing
telltale vibrations.
It's all over in seconds.
(Crunching)
With the tarantula around,
the forest floor is never
a safe place
for potential prey,
like crickets.
But the trees
aren't safe either.
The huntsman spider doesn't
build a web to trap prey.
It hunts its victims down.
It's well-camouflaged
to blend into the tree...
..and has amazing speed.
The cricket is history.
No animal is free
from danger in the forest.
From the biggest...
to the smallest.
This St Andrew's Cross spider
is spinning her web.
She's only found in Australia
and lives in the margins
of the rainforest.
With long legs
but a small body,
she waits for prey
upside-down on her web.
Her legs are arranged
in pairs,
resembling a diagonal cross.
(Buzzing)
She makes a catch.
Before the fly has
a chance to escape,
she wraps it up into an
immobilized, neat package.
These food parcels
can be left for later...
..but not today.
She regurgitates
her stomach fluids
full of enzymes
onto the prey.
This, combined with
the chewing action
of her fangs and jaws,
reduces the prey to
a biological soup.
She sucks it up through
her tube-like mouthparts.
A male cross spider,
much smaller,
approaches her for mating.
She's not interested.
A second male tries his luck.
This one's got
her attention...
..but not quite
as he intended.
This species of spider
practices sexual cannibalism.
Only the fittest males
can court, mate
and then evade the female.
This pursuer becomes dinner.
But someone else has been
eagerly following this drama.
In the jungle, there's
always another creature
capable of turning
a predator into prey.
The Portia spider.
It's smaller than
the St Andrews Cross...
..but size isn't everything.
The Portia is
an astonishing arachnid.
It has very large
anterior eyes.
They're unique.
No other spider is known to
see as well as the Portia.
And that's not all.
Researchers are discovering
that this species has
a comparatively larger brain
than any other spider.
It can alter
its predatory strategy,
employing
trial-and-error testing.
It will purposefully take
indirect routes to its prey.
These behaviors suggest
problem-solving intelligence.
It's possible
the Portia can plan.
It begins to make its move.
Sensing the proximity
of a predator,
the St Andrews Cross tries
to discourage an attack.
It's called trampolining.
She's trying to make herself
a difficult target.
But the Portia spider,
as well as having
extraordinary eyesight
and high intelligence,
has an extra weapon.
A lightning-fast,
super-accurate jump.
Fangs inject powerful venom.
Soon, the St Andrews Cross
will be completely immobile.
Ready for dispatch.
(Birdsong)
Australia's bugs
and butterflies have adopted
some extraordinary
survival strategies.
From ants that use larvae
as glue-guns...
..to spiders that disguise
themselves as ants.
The forests of Australia
are packed with
an astonishing variety
of creepy-crawlies.
Aerial show-offs,
masters of disguise
and extravagant dressers.
There's nothing they won't do
in the great battle for life.
♪♪♪
