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Beetles in Flight

Adrian Smith and his lab capture flight footage of beetles in this mesmerizing video shot with ultra slow-motion and high-definition cameras. Watch 12 separate species and their idiosyncrasies as the launch – or bumble – into the air at 6,000 frames per second.

Here’s who shows off their flying prowess.

  • Grapevine beetle – Pelidnota punctata
  • Oriental beetle – Anomala orientalis
  • Japanese beetle – Popillia japonica
  • Water scavenger beetle – family Hydrophilidae
  • Picnic beetle – Glischrochilus fasciatus
  • Jewel beetle – Dicerca obscura (probably)
  • Tumbling flower beetle – family Mordellidae
  • Punctured Tiger Beetle – Cicindelidia punctulate
  • Clay-colored leaf beetle – Anomoea laticlavia
  • Two-lined leather-wing (soldier beetle) – Atalantycha bilineata
  • Flat oak borer (longhorn beetle) – Smodicum cucujiforme
  • Checkered beetle – family Cleridae

Added bonus points: The video’s narrated by the comedian Joe Pera

Adrian Smith heads the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University. His science and insect videos can be watched on his Ant Lab YouTube channel.

Credits

Written and Produced by – Adrian Smith
Narrated by – Joe Pera
Still Images by – Matt Bertone and Nicolás Galvez
Supported by – North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

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