BBC One Cambridgeshire

Life in the Undergrowth

Life in the Undergrowth: Episode 4: Intimate Relations

Episode 4

Episode 4: Intimate Relations

Intimate Relations

BBC One - Life in the Undergrowth, Intimate Relations

A look at the alliances and partnerships tiny creatures form with each other and plants.

Natural history series. David Attenborough looks at the complex alliances and partnerships tiny creatures form between each other and with plants.

Ever since they came onto land, the tiny creatures of the undergrowth have been forming alliances and partnerships with each other and with plants. 

As David Attenborough says in his opening, many of these intimate relations are of a complexity that blows the mind. And while some of these relationships clearly benefit both partners, others most certainly do not. 

Take the bot fly - a bruiser in the fly world. It uses smaller house flies as unwitting couriers to carry its eggs to cows where they hatch and bore into the cow's flesh. Or the tiny fairy wasp - 0.25mm long - that flies under water and lays its eggs inside water beetle eggs.

In the programme's final sequence we see how the caterpillar of the blue butterfly sneaks its way into an ants' nest by mimicking the smell of the ants' young. There it is protected and fed for almost two years. But a recently discovered wasp has an uncanny knack for pinpointing nests with caterpillars in. It breaks into the ants' nest using a collection of chemical tricks that any spy would love to get his hands on. One of these chemicals forces the ants to attack each other, giving the wasp time to lay its own egg into the caterpillar's body. When the wasp leaves and the nest returns to normal the ants feed the caterpillar as if nothing has happened, but when it pupates what comes out? Not a butterfly but a wasp. Mind-blowing indeed!

BBC One

David Attenborough reveals the amazing stories behind the tiny lives of invertebrates.

David Attenborough reveals the amazing stories behind the tiny lives of invertebrates, exploring their incredible miniature world with ground-breaking camerawork and technology.

BBC One is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964. It replaced BBC Television.

Tales from the Palaces: Episode 7: The Heritage Theme Park

Episode 7

Episode 7: The Heritage Theme Park

Tales from the Palaces

The Heritage Theme Park

BBC Four - Tales from the Palaces, The Heritage Theme Park

With visitor numbers down, there is talk about introducing attractions, like ice rinks.

With visitor numbers down, there is talk about introducing attractions, like ice rinks - but is it inappropriate? A ghost is caught on CCTV.

BBC Four

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Documentary series giving an insight into some of the great palaces of the UK.

Documentary series giving an insight into the activity behind-the-scenes at The Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, The Tower of London and Hampton Court.

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Life in the Undergrowth

Episode 4: Intimate Relations

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Tales from the Palaces

Episode 7: The Heritage Theme Park

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