List of films featuring insects

This is a list of films which prominently feature insects, either as anthropomorphic protagonists,¹² antagonists or mutations such as in horror films,³⁴ or as subjects in a documentary capacity.⁵

Fictional narrative films

Animated

Animated films with anthropomorphized insects include:⁶

The Ant Bully (2006) - ants
The Fly (1958) - a human-fly mutation hybrid
The Adventures of André and Wally B. (1984) - bees
Maya The Bee Movie (2014) - bees and others
Ants in the Plants (1940) - ants in a Fleischer Color Classics short
Antz (1998) - ants and others
Bee Movie (2007) - bees and others
James and the Giant Peach (1996) - grasshopper, centipede, spider, others
Billy & Mandy: Wrath of the Spider Queen (2007) - spiders
Bugs in Love (1932) - lovebugs in a Disney Silly Symphonies short
A Bug's Life (1998) - ants and others
The Flea Circus (1954) - fleas
Gallavants (1984) - ants and an amphisbaena
The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934) - another Silly Symphonies entry
Hoppers (2026) - butterflies, ants, spiders, and other species
A Horse Fly Fleas (1947) - fleas
An Itch in Time (1943) - a flea
Johnny the Giant Killer (1950) - bees, spiders and other species
Katy, Kiki y Koko (1987) - caterpillars, ants and alien molluscs
Katy la Oruga (1984) - caterpillars, a spider, bees and a butterfly
Kung Fu Panda (2008) - a praying mantis
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) - a praying mantis
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) - a praying mantis
The Magic Bird (1968) - ants
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants (2013) - ladybugs, ants, a spider, and other species
Minuscule 2: Mandibles from Far Away (2019) - ladybugs, ants, cockroaches, praying mantis, and other species
Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941) - a grasshopper, bee, and other species
Moth and the Flame (1938) - moths
Pinocchio (1940) - a cricket
Pipi Tobenai Hotaru (1996) - fireflies
The Rescuers (1977) - a dragonfly
Shinbone Alley (1970) - a cockroach
The Spider and the Fly (1931) - flies
Strange Magic (2015) - ants, centipedes and other species
Twilight of the Cockroaches (1987) - cockroaches

Non-animated

Fly (1970) - an avant-garde 25 minute film directed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono which depicts a housefly crawling around on the body of a nude woman, actress Virginia Lust. By the end of the film, multiple flies can be seen on Lust's body.
Joe's Apartment (1996) - cockroaches (live action and puppetry blended with computer and stop-motion animation)
The Fly (1986) - Flies (live action and puppetry)
Meet the Applegates (1990) - shapeshifting mantisses try to save their home in Brazil by bringing nuclear holocaust to America
Eega (2012, The Fly) - flies, an Indian fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli

Both

Films and television programmes based on Alice in Wonderland - a caterpillar

Horror films featuring insects

Ants

The Naked Jungle (1954; army ants)⁷
Them! (1954; giant mutated ants)⁸
Phase IV (1974; super-intelligent ants of various species)⁷
Empire of the Ants (1977; large mutated ants)⁹
It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)¹⁰

Honey bees

The Deadly Bees (1966)¹¹
Killer Bees (1974)¹²
The Savage Bees (1976)¹³
The Bees (1978)¹⁴
The Swarm (1978)¹⁵
Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995)¹⁶

Cockroaches

Creepshow (1982, killer cockroaches)¹⁷
Mimic (1997, evolved human-sized genetically engineered cockroaches)¹⁸

Locusts

Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)¹⁹

Wasps

Stung (2015; large mutated wasps)²⁰

Documentaries

This section includes both educational and scientific films about insects,²¹²²²³²⁴ as well as notable documentary television programs about insects.²⁵

Films

1910 The Acrobatic Fly by F. Percy Smith
1911 The Strength and Agility of Insects by F. Percy Smith
1911 La vita delle farfalle by Roberto Omegna and Guido Gozzano
1960 Secrets of the Ant and Insect World from Walt Disney's 1956 Secrets of Life²¹
1996 Microcosmos by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou is a record of detailed interactions between insects and other small invertebrates.
2009 Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo by Jessica Oreck
2009 Vanishing of the Bees by George Langworthy and Maryam Henein about bees' colony collapse disorder
2010 The Death of an Insect by Hannes Vartiainen and Pekka Veikkolainen
2010 Colony by Carter Gunn and Ross McDonnell about bees' colony collapse disorder
2010 Queen of the Sun by Taggart Siegel about bees' colony collapse disorder
2011 Wings of Life by Louis Schwartzberg
2012 More than Honey by Markus Imhoof about honeybees
2016 Bugs by Andreas Johnsen about insects as a food source for humans

The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971) is a quasi-documentary film about the struggle between man and insects.²⁶²⁷ Andrea Shaw called it a faux documentary,²⁸ although it won the 1971 Academy Award for the best documentary.²⁹

Television and video

1973 and forward The Real world of insects series by the Learning Corporation of America³⁰
1979 David Attenborough's BBC series Life on Earth, episodes "The First Forests" and "The Swarming Hordes"
1988 Reading Rainbow, "Bugs", Season 6, Episode 2
1996 Alien Empire BBC production
1998 Bug City (TV series)
1999, 2001 Insectia a Discovery Channel program
2003 Episodes of DragonflyTV including "Creepy Crawlies" (2003), Weevils (2006)³¹ and "Butterfly Wings" (2008)³²
2005 David Attenborough's BBC series Life in the Undergrowth³³
2009, 2011–2012 Monster Bug Wars by Beyond Television Productions of Australia

Notes and references

Berenbaum, May R. & Levkosky, Richard J. (2003). "Movies, Insects in". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 756–762. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.
Armstrong, Richard B.; Armstrong, Mary Willems, eds. (2010). "Insects". Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series (reprint of second edition (2001) ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-4766-1230-0.
Hickman, Matt (15 May 2014). "Bugging out: 12 creepy-crawly movies that will have you reaching for the Raid". Mother Nature Network. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014.
Glassy, Mark C. (2001). The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-7864-0998-3.
Agriculture Research Service (1954). Motion Picture Films about Insects. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. OCLC 71024544.
Berenbaum & Levkosky 2003, pp. 757–758
Puckett, Terek (27 October 2013). "Revolt of Nature Horror Films: The Must-Sees". PopOptiq. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Gambin, Lee (8 October 2012). Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168309.
"Empire of the Ants (1977)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
"It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
"The Deadly Bees (1967)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
"Killer Bees (1974)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
"The Savage Bees (1976)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
"The Bees (1978)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
Hickman, Matt (28 October 2014). "12 horror films that reveal Mother Nature's evil side". Mother Nature Network. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
"Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
"Creepshow (1982)". Allmovie. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
"Mimic (1997)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
"Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
"Stung (2015)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
Bouse, Derek (2011). Wildlife Films. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN 978-0-8122-0584-8.
Agriculture Research Service (1954). Motion Picture Films about Insects. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. OCLC 71024544.
Berenbaum, May R. & Levkosky, Richard J. (2003). "Movies, Insects in". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 756–762. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.
Armstrong, Richard B.; Armstrong, Mary Willems, eds. (2010). "Insects". Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series (reprint of second edition (2001) ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 107]. ISBN 978-1-4766-1230-0.
Acorn, John H. & Sperling, Felix A. H. (2003). "Teaching Resources: Television and Video". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 989–990. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.
Tompkins, Dave (27 February 2012). "Swarming the Field: Bugs, Nazis, and The Hellstrom Chronicle". Grantland. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
Chapman, James & Cull, Nicholas J. (2013). Projecting Tomorrow: Science Fiction and Popular Cinema. London: I.B.Tauris. pp. 141–143. ISBN 978-1-78076-410-8.
Shaw, Andrea (1996). "The Hellstrom Chronicle". Seen That, Now What?: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Video You Really Want to Watch. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-684-80011-0.
Murphy, Bernice M. (2013). "Chapter 5. 'Why Wouldn't the Wilderness Fight Us?' American Eco-Horro and the Apocalypse". The Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture: Backwoods Horror and Terror in the Wilderness. Basingstoke, Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 217–218. ISBN 978-1-137-35373-3.
Kaye, Evelyn (1979). The ACT Guide to Children's Television: Or how to Treat TV with T.L.C. (second ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-8070-2366-2.
"Weevils". PBS.
"Butterfly Wings". PBS.
Shardlow, Matt (2013). "The institutionalization of insect welfare: the cultural aspects of establishing a new organization dedicated to concerving invertebrates". In Lemein, Raynald Harvey (ed.). The Management of Insects in Recreation and Tourism. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-107-01288-2.

[1] Berenbaum, May R. & Levkosky, Richard J. (2003). "Movies, Insects in". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 756–762. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.

[2] Armstrong, Richard B.; Armstrong, Mary Willems, eds. (2010). "Insects". Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series (reprint of second edition (2001) ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-4766-1230-0.

[3] Hickman, Matt (15 May 2014). "Bugging out: 12 creepy-crawly movies that will have you reaching for the Raid". Mother Nature Network. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014.

[4] Glassy, Mark C. (2001). The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-7864-0998-3.

[5] Agriculture Research Service (1954). Motion Picture Films about Insects. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. OCLC 71024544.

[6] Berenbaum & Levkosky 2003, pp. 757–758

[List_of_natural_horror_films_optiq-7] Puckett, Terek (27 October 2013). "Revolt of Nature Horror Films: The Must-Sees". PopOptiq. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

[List_of_natural_horror_films_gambin-8] Gambin, Lee (8 October 2012). Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168309.

[9] "Empire of the Ants (1977)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2019.

[10] "It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

[11] "The Deadly Bees (1967)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2019.

[12] "Killer Bees (1974)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.

[13] "The Savage Bees (1976)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.

[14] "The Bees (1978)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

[List_of_natural_horror_films_mother_nature-15] Hickman, Matt (28 October 2014). "12 horror films that reveal Mother Nature's evil side". Mother Nature Network. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2016.

[16] "Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2018.

[17] "Creepshow (1982)". Allmovie. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2021.

[18] "Mimic (1997)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2019.

[19] "Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2020.

[20] "Stung (2015)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.

[Bouse,_Derek_2011_118–119-21] Bouse, Derek (2011). Wildlife Films. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN 978-0-8122-0584-8.

[22] Agriculture Research Service (1954). Motion Picture Films about Insects. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. OCLC 71024544.

[23] Berenbaum, May R. & Levkosky, Richard J. (2003). "Movies, Insects in". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 756–762. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.

[24] Armstrong, Richard B.; Armstrong, Mary Willems, eds. (2010). "Insects". Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series (reprint of second edition (2001) ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 107]. ISBN 978-1-4766-1230-0.

[25] Acorn, John H. & Sperling, Felix A. H. (2003). "Teaching Resources: Television and Video". In Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Insects. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 989–990. ISBN 978-0-08-054605-6.

[26] Tompkins, Dave (27 February 2012). "Swarming the Field: Bugs, Nazis, and The Hellstrom Chronicle". Grantland. Retrieved 16 January 2016.

[27] Chapman, James & Cull, Nicholas J. (2013). Projecting Tomorrow: Science Fiction and Popular Cinema. London: I.B.Tauris. pp. 141–143. ISBN 978-1-78076-410-8.

[28] Shaw, Andrea (1996). "The Hellstrom Chronicle". Seen That, Now What?: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Video You Really Want to Watch. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-684-80011-0.

[Murphy-29] Murphy, Bernice M. (2013). "Chapter 5. 'Why Wouldn't the Wilderness Fight Us?' American Eco-Horro and the Apocalypse". The Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture: Backwoods Horror and Terror in the Wilderness. Basingstoke, Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 217–218. ISBN 978-1-137-35373-3.

[30] Kaye, Evelyn (1979). The ACT Guide to Children's Television: Or how to Treat TV with T.L.C. (second ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-8070-2366-2.

[31] "Weevils". PBS.

[32] "Butterfly Wings". PBS.

[33] Shardlow, Matt (2013). "The institutionalization of insect welfare: the cultural aspects of establishing a new organization dedicated to concerving invertebrates". In Lemein, Raynald Harvey (ed.). The Management of Insects in Recreation and Tourism. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-107-01288-2.

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