National Geographic's A Real Bug's Life premieres on Disney+ this week

The stakes are high... even if the critters are extraordinarily small. With new developments in filming technology and narrated by fun and witty guide Awkwafina, follow the incredible stories of the tiny heroes living in worlds beyond the imagination – from a jumping spider looking for a home on the streets of New York to a Costa Rican orchid bee’s first day on the job making perfume! Full of mind-blowing new behaviours and larger-than-life characters, this family-friendly series shows that A Real Bug's Life can be every bit as fantastical as any animated film, and premieres on Disney+ on 24 January 2024.

Episode 101 – The Big City

The big city bustles with humanity, but it’s also home to some of the most daring bugs on the planet. Join a male jumping spider as he battles for real estate, a voracious fly as it dodges death, and cockroaches that emerge from a secret “bugway” under cover of darkness. In the concrete jungle, only the streetwise can hustle for a living.

Episode 102 – Welcome to the Jungle

In the rainforest of Latin America, two tiny, newly hatched bugs — a brilliant orchid bee and a leafcutter ant — strike out into a bewildering world. There are more bug species here than anywhere else on Earth, each with an important role to play. These two newbies must quickly figure out how to fit in and survive on their first day on the job.

Episode 105 – Braving the Backyard

It’s spring in a Texan backyard, and a new family is moving in. As they put their stamp on the place, a baby Texas unicorn mantis struggles to come of age in her brand-new world, a colony of invasive fire ants have their survival skills pushed to the limit, and a jet-setting monarch butterfly searches for a lifeline on her mammoth migration north. This is the story of bugs surviving and thriving in one of the most unpredictable places on Earth.

Episode 109 – Land of Giants

The African savanna is famous for its large animals — but their presence makes it a challenging place for tiny bugs to survive. A newly emerged dung beetle and an aging acacia ant face huge obstacles as they battle to feed themselves and look after their families. Both have adopted remarkable skills to survive in this land of giants.

Episode 104 – The Busy Farm

Spring has sprung on an old British farm. A queen bumblebee emerges from hibernation with one goal: to raise a royal family. Like many of the bugs here, they are part of a secret workforce helping the farmer, but not all are so welcome. Doodlebugs munch on roots, and aphids invade the vegetable garden. Can ladybug assassins come to the rescue before it’s too late?