Distribution


CATALOGUE


UNSCRIPTED
SCRIPTED
ALL PROGRAMMES

Aliens of the Amazon


2 x 45 and 1 x 52 minutes

The Membracide insect family is roughly unknown to us. However, these neotropical treehoppers are probably the most astonishing creatures ever concocted by Nature! Some people view them as nothing more than miniature aliens; others consider them to be true masterpieces of biodiversity. In either case, with their weird and wonderful shapes, they are a source of bewilderment for the scientific community.

Be it a whim of Nature or an extreme case of mimicry, with their impressive forehead protrusions, they look like living sculptures. They resemble something straight out of a Sci-Fi movie, and yet they are well and truly real – tactile inhabitants of the treetops and the various strata of the tropical rainforest.

Because these insects are so incredibly rare and hard to find, they have never been studied, photographed or filmed – that is, up until now. In the past, in-the-field observations have revealed certain aspects of their behavior but there is no trace of any former in-depth research into these creatures.

The Aliens of the Amazon team has sought out these mysterious insects, accomplishing the first ever scientific documentary dedicated to them. Equipped with state-of-the-art imagery gear, a group of researchers embarking on an expedition in Ecuador has revealed the infinitely strange, observed the hitherto unseen, listened to the most outlandish of sounds and elucidated previously-unexplained entomological mysteries.


Written by: Thierry Berrod, Patrick Landmann
Directed by: Quincy Russell
Produced by: Monda Lisa

© Arte France / Science Channel / Breakthrough / Mona Lisa