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Moths and Beetles: 12 species in slow-motion flight

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Get a closer look at 12 species of moths and beetles as they take to the air. The slow-motion footage, captured at 6,000 frames per second by Dr. Adrian Smith of the Ant Lab YouTube Channel, showcases how steady or wobbly-looking these insects can seem.

“I mean the thing that really gets me about this and all the rest of the bugs you’ll see in this video are all the details there are to notice.”

Smith calls out details during his video narration, including unfolding wings, worn scales, elytra popping open, legs lifting for flight, feathery and long antennae, and more.

Polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus
Featured moths in flight: The virgin tiger moth, Apantesis virgo (top), the Clymene moth, Haploa clymene, the banded tussock moth, Halydiota tessellaris, the Luna moth, Actias luna, the Polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (above), the waved sphinx, Ceratomia undulosa, the small-eyed sphinx, Paonias mypos (below).

the small-eyed sphinx, Paonias mypos.
Featured beetles in flight: The glowworm beetle, Phengodes sp., the giant diving beetle, Cybister sp., the Alder borer, Saperda obliqua (below), the Flower Longhorn Beetle, Judolia cordifera, and the Long-necked ground beetle, Colliuris sp.

the Alder borer, Saperda obliqua,
The Ant Lab explores projects from and beyond the Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University.

Find more at Instagram.com/dradriansmith

Watch these related videos next:
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β€’Β Weevils, katydids, an assassin bug, & other insects fly in slow-mo
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β€’Β How does the Great Diving Beetle hunt underwater?
β€’Β Nature’s Scuba Divers – How Beetles Breathe Underwater


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