Back to Show
Deep Look
Here’s How That Annoying Fly Dodges Your Swatter
Season 7
Episode 20
A fly has a pair of tiny, dumbbell-shaped limbs called halteres that were once a second pair of wings. They wield them to make razor-sharp turns and land out of reach on your ceiling. But don't despair – there *is* a trick to smacking these infuriating insects.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

4:58
A kissing bug gorges on your blood, plus it may carry a potentially deadly parasite.

4:38
Skeleton shrimp anatomy can be confusing, with their funky assortment of body parts.

4:42
Tadpole shrimp are a special type of time-traveling crustacean called triops.

3:30
The assassin bug commits murder by stabbing. But does this perpetrator have an accomplice?

4:26
Most damselflies prefer sun, but the quirky San Francisco forktail damselfly digs the fog.

4:51
Horseshoe crabs may look scary, but really they’re lovers, not fighters.

4:29
Digger bees build a different kind of sandcastle at the beach – it's part of their nest.

4:42
Can axolotls salamanders thrive once again in their ancestral waters in Mexico City?

4:09
Hermit crabs are more than happy to let snails build them a perfect home.

5:03
The drama is real for this sultry flower, a gorgeous butterfly and an unlucky fungus gnat.

3:56
Scorpions are notorious predators, but they also have delicate sensory organs.

4:52
The hydra, named after a mythical multiheaded monster, may be the secret to eternal youth.