Last Watched

"Hoverfly"  Sort by

Taking To The Air

   2005    Nature
As the early June sun begins to set over a calm river in Central Hungary, masses of ghostly shapes emerge from their larval cases to take to the air for the first time. They are mayflies and in a spectacular display, thousands of them demonstrate how the very first wings were used. From the stunning aerobatics of hoverflies in an English garden to the mass migration of purple crow butterflies in the valleys of Taiwan, this episode tells the tale of the first animals ever to take to the air. Unique footage reveals the lightning fast reactions of bluebottles and hoverflies, filmed with one of the world's fastest cameras, and Sir David Attenborough handles the world's largest (and perhaps most ferocious) insect - the Titan beetle.
Series: Life in the Undergrowth
Human Universe

Human Universe

2014  History
Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

2013  History
The Great Acceleration

The Great Acceleration

2020  Technology
Vegan

Vegan

2020  Culture
Cosmos

Cosmos

1980  Science
Human universe

Human universe

2014  Technology