The four-part series investigates the beauty of bugs, from pollinators to insect assassins to the tiny clean-up crews that purify the planet
Series features Edmonton-based photographer, Dara Ojo
Pictured: A Damselfy, featured in Bugs That Rule the World, captured by Edmonton-based macro photographer, Dara Ojo, who is featured in the first episode.
(Toronto, ON – May 20, 2025) – Love Nature’s new four-part series Bugs That Rule the World explores the unseen and rapidly changing lives of insects, and how these tiny creatures, which make up over 90 per cent of all living species, play a critical role in sustaining life on Earth. From pollinators like moths, bees and butterflies that bring colour to our fields and food to our plates, to nature’s clean-up crews that work the land and purify the soil, insects have quietly run the planet since before the age of dinosaurs. But now, new investigations reveal that even in Earth’s most remote corners, insect populations are in sharp decline. As warnings of a worldwide “apocalypse” grow louder, the series uncovers the essential roles bugs play in our ecology and the bleak picture of a future without them. Bugs That Rule the World premieres Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Love Nature in Canada. Love Nature is also available on Prime Video Channels and AppleTV, with Bugs That Rule the World available to stream from June 15.
In episode one, viewers are introduced to Edmonton-based macro photographer Dara Ojo, whose stunning imagery magnifies the vibrant, charismatic features of bugs and reveals their beauty and complexity, transforming audiences’ perception of “creepy crawlers” from frightening to fascinating.
Throughout the four part series, Bugs That Rule the World showcases the vivid colors, intricate body structures, and unexpectedly captivating behaviors of these tiny creatures — from elaborate mating rituals to dramatic physical transformations. The series also spotlights the growing threat climate change and habitat loss pose to insect populations and underscores the vital, but often overlooked, benefits bugs provide to humanity. As the series makes clear, understanding and protecting these tiny creatures is not just a matter of science, but of survival, as their fate is intertwined with our own.
Bugs That Rule the World is a co-production of Coneflower Studios, Blue Ant Media and ARTE France, in association with PBS. The series is written by Doug Shultz and produced by Ann Prum, Doug Shultz, and Nosarieme Garrick. Narrated by Nkeki Obi-Melekwe. Diana El-Osta is the executive in charge for PBS. Alison Barrat, SVP, Head of Content oversees commissioning for Love Nature.Love Nature is a premium wildlife and nature brand, bringing audiences powerful stories about the natural world that foster a deeper understanding and connection to the planet. Love Nature is a destination for award-winning natural history series and documentaries and is available on branded linear and streaming platforms in countries around the world. Engage with us at lovenature.com / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Instagram
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Note: Dara Ojo is available for media interviews upon request.
Fun Facts:
- One third of the food we eat is thanks to pollinating insects
- Firefly numbers are declining due to habitat loss and light population.
- Flag-footed bugs can detach their legs to escape predators.
- Beetles have been around for 295 million years, surviving mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.
- Dung beetles can bury 250 times their own weight in a day.
- A single honeybee hive can pollinate up to 250 million flowers in a day.
- There are over 20,000 species of bees in the world.
- Moths evolved hairy bodies, sonar-jamming clicks, and ultrasound screams to outwit bat predators.
- In Kenya, butterfly farming helps support over 800 families and protects forests.
- Dragonflies catch 95% of what they hunt. That’s better than a falcon!