Skip to main content
Back to Show
Deep Look

The Pipevine Caterpillar Thrives in a Toxic Love Triangle

Season 8 Episode 10

The devilish caterpillars of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly *devour* the California pipevine, never mind that the plant is trying to poison them. Their butterfly moms don’t pollinate the pipevine in return, though. So, the vine traps unlucky gnats in its labyrinthine flowers to do the job.

Support Provided By
Season
Watch Ladybugs Go From Goth to Glam
5:14
Ladybugs may be the cutest insects around, but they don't start off that way.
Cockroach vs. Hydraulic Press: Who Wins?
3:57
Do cockroaches -- daring, disgusting disease vectors -- have anything at all to offer us?
This Daring Fly Swims in a Shimmering Bubble Shield
5:42
Covered in a shiny bubble, the alkali fly scuba dives in California's Mono Lake.
This Fly Torpedoes a Bindweed Bee's Nest
4:58
A “bee fly” is a freeloader that takes advantage of a bindweed turret bee’s hard work.
This Snail Goes Fishing With a Net Made of Slime
4:05
The scaled wormsnail cements its shell to a rock and snags its meals using mucus!
Springtails Do Their Own Stunts
4:04
Step right up to see tiny springtails spin through the air with the greatest of ease!
Gecko Grip: It’s Atomic (Really)
3:44
Geckos navigate nearly any surface with an electron dance at the atomic scale.
The Twisted Truth About Snake Tongues
4:31
The snake's forked tongue helps it smell in stereo.
This Mushroom Can Fly
3:22
Bird’s nest fungi look just like a tiny bird's nest. But those little eggs have no yolks.
Toad Tongues Slay With Seriously Sticky Spit
3:36
How are frogs so amazing at catching bugs? It’s their supersoft tongue and special spit.
How Does the Mussel Grow its Beard?
4:00
Mussels create byssal threads to attach themselves to rocks and each other.
Earthworm Love is Cuddly ... and Complicated
4:10
Earthworms cozy up with a mate inside tubes of slime to make cocoons full of baby worms.
Active loading indicator