Viewer's Guide
In 2008, the BBC made available online a viewer's guide to Life in the Undergrowth, specially designed to help the viewer locate an exciting clip a particular scientific or geographical lesson.
| Topic | Subtopic | Species | Episode | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptation | Feeding Strategies | Moth, Hummingbird Hawk Moth | 2 - Taking to the Air | How different moths feed on tree sap and nectar, including the hummingbird hawk moth. |
| Behaviour | Camouflage | Stick Insect | 4 - Intimate Relations | Features a stick insect that, through camouflage, looks exactly like a dried leaf. |
| Behaviour | Social Groups | Bee, Wasp | 5 - Super Societies | Colonial breeding and organisation of super societies in bees and wasps. |
| Communication | Pheromones | Alcon Butterfly | 4 - Intimate Relations | Alcon butterfly caterpillars using pheromones to disguise themselves as ant larvae to hide in ant nests. |
| Competition | Animals | Harvester Ant, Long Legged Ant | 5 - Super Societies | Competition for seeds between harvester ants and long legged ants. |
| Cooperation | Cooperation | Army Ant | 5 - Super Societies | Features a million or more army ants cooperating in hunting and nesting. |
| Decomposers | Decomposers | Earthworm, Giant Gyps Earthworm | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features the earthworm and its importance for the soil, and six feet long giant gyps earthworm. |
| Evolution | Invertebrates | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Evolution of land invertebrates, how they have adapted to survive out of water and their relationship with green plants. | |
| Habitats | Deserts | Scorpion | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features a typical desert landscape and explains how scorpions are able to survive in this dry, hostile environment. |
| Habitats | Ponds | Diving Beetle, Fairy Wasp, Water Flea | 4 - Intimate Relations | Features a variety of pond creatures including diving beetles, fairy wasps and water fleas. |
| Habitats | Gardens | Aphid, Ant, Ladybird | 4 - Intimate Relations | Features the friend and foe relationships between gardeners, aphids, ants and ladybirds. |
| Locomotion | Flight | Dragonfly | 2 - Taking to the Air | Explains the mechanics of how dragonflies fly, showing their amazing speed and maneuverability. |
| Locomotion | Flight | Bumblebee, Fly | 2 - Taking to the Air | Wing design and flight mechanics of bumblebees and flies. Immaculate aerial control makes a male more attractive to females in hover flies. |
| Parasites | Parasites | Wasp, Cabbage White Butterfly | 2 - Taking to the Air | Wasp parasitising cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. |
| Parasites | Parasites | Blister Beetle, Digger Bee | 4 - Intimate Relations | Deception by blister beetle larvae in order to parasitise digger bee nests. |
| Parasites | Parasites | Bot Fly | 4 - Intimate Relations | Bot fly life cycle which includes parasitising house flies and cows. |
| Predation | Invertebrates | Velvet Worm, Giant Centipede | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features some of the most vicious invertebrate hunters: the velvet worm catching its prey by shooting strings of glue and the giant centipede hunting bats in caves. |
| Predation | Invertebrates | Glowworm, Mayfly | 3 - The Silk Spinners | Dramatic spectacle of glowworms catching mayflies in a New Zealand cave. |
| Predation | Invertebrates | Bolas Spider | 3 - The Silk Spinners | Bolas spider using droplet pheromone as bait to lure moths. |
| Predation | Invertebrates | White Crab Spider, Assassin Bug | 4 - Intimate Relations | Features white crab spiders and assassin bugs using pheromones to lure their prey into their claws. |
| Reproduction | Courtship | Spring Tail | 1 - Invasion of the Land | The bizarre headbutting courtship dance of tiny spring tails. |
| Reproduction | Courtship | Mojave Sand Scorpion | 1 - Invasion of the Land | The Mojave sand scorpion's dangerous courtship ritual. |
| Reproduction | Hermaphrodites | Leopard Slug | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features the unusual mating behaviour of leopard slugs which have both male and female organs. |
| Reproduction | Parental Care | Paper Wasp | 5 - Super Societies | Shows how paper wasps build colonial nests and share parental duties which enables them to raise more young. |
| Reproduction | Invertebrates | Wolf Spider | 3 - The Silk Spinners | Courtship, mating, egg laying and parental care in wolf spiders. |
| Reproduction | Invertebrates | Cabbage White Butterfly | 2 - Taking to the Air | Life cycle of the cabbage white butterfly. |
| Reproduction | Invertebrates | Paper Wasp, Bumblebee | 5 - Super Societies | Colonial breeding strategies of paper wasps and bumblebees. |
| Shelters | Shelters | Termite | 5 - Super Societies | Features termites constructing a gigantic mound which is equipped with protective features. |
| Symbiosis | Plants and Insects | Duroia Tree | 4 - Intimate Relations | How ants depend on the Duroia tree for a nesting site, and in return protect the tree from plant predators and competing plants. |
| Symbiosis | Plants and Insects | Ant, Aphid | 4 - Intimate Relations | How ants protect aphids from predation by ladybirds, and in return get a meal of sugary nectar. |
| Children's Favourites | Mini Beasts | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features a fascinating montage of mini beasts at very close quarters. | |
| Children's Favourites | Mini Beasts | Snail | 1 - Invasion of the Land | Features a snail thriving in dark, damp conditions. |
| Children's Favourites | Mini Beasts | Spider | 3 - The Silk Spinners | Features a spider skilfully constructing its web. |
| Learning to Learn | Teamwork | Bee | 5 - Super Societies | Features bees working together to help make their colonies a success. |
| Learning to Learn | Teamwork | Army Ant | 5 - Super Societies | Features a million or more army ants working together to establish a new nesting site. |
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