If you need some creepy crawlies for your production, look no further.  We have all manner of invertebrates plus arachnids.  If you’re filming something a bit different, check out our species below.

SCORPIONS

Scorpions look menacing, even awe inspiring and are certainly a conversation starter!  Scorpions have eight legs and are easily recognised by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always ending with a stinger. There are over 2,500 described species.

The evolutionary history of scorpions goes back 435 million years. They mainly live in deserts but have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, and can be found on all continents except Antarctica. 

Scorpion venom serves to kill or paralyse prey rapidly. The stings of many species are uncomfortable, but only twenty five species have venom that is deadly to humans. Scorpions are often kept as pets and people are very interested in their physical appearance.

The scorpion is a culturally significant animal, appearing as a motif in art, folklore, mythology and commercial brands. The scorpion is perceived both as an embodiment of evil and as a protective force such as a dervish’s powers to combat evil. Scorpius is the name of a constellation; the corresponding astrological sign is Scorpio. A variety of martial arts films and video games have been entitled Scorpion King and it has served as the name or symbol of products and brands including Italy’s Abarth racing cars and a Montesa scrambler motorcycle.

Worldwide scorpions range in size from half an inch to 7.25 inches long (including the tail), depending on the species.

BEETLES

Beetles typically have a particularly hard exoskeleton. The general anatomy of a beetle is quite uniform and typical of insects.

Some beetles are aposematic, with bright colours and patterns warning of their toxicity, while others are harmless. Many beetles, including those that live in sandy places, have effective camouflage.

Although many beetle species are black, some beetles are brightly and attractively coloured, making them objects of collection, decorative displays, and also exceptionally interesting to film and photograph.  These beetles can be a range of colours from green to brown, red, or orange.

The stag beetle is recorded in a Greek myth by Nicander and recalled by Antoninus Liberalis in which Cerambus is turned into a beetle. Many beetles have durable elytra that has been used as material in art, with beetlewing being the best example. 

There are roughly 400,000 species of beetle known to science, from miniscule insects less than half a millimetre long to giants longer than a chihuahua (can you even imagine?!)  Beetles make up more than a quarter of all known animal species on our planet.  They’re ubiquitous and instantly recognisable around the world.  After all, what other species has the most famous band in the world named after them?  John Lennon said in a 1964 interview: “It was beat and beetles and when you said it, people thought of crawly things, and when you read it, it was beat music.”  What bigger accolade for an insect than this?

LEAF INSECTS

Leaf insects include some of the most remarkably camouflaged leaf mimics in the entire animal kingdom. They occur from South Asia through Southeast Asia to Australia. 

They are camouflaged by taking on the appearance of leaves, with a wide, veiny body and legs that look like ragged leaves. They do this so accurately that predators often are not able to distinguish them from real leaves. In some species, the edge of the leaf insect’s body even has the appearance of bite marks. Leaf insects measure roughly 28-100mm body length, just like, well… leaves!  To further confuse predators, when the leaf insect walks it rocks back and forth to mimic a real leaf being blown by the wind. Predators can stand on the same branch as the insect and not even know it’s there.  We think this feat of evolution is pretty incredible.  

But why would you want to film or photograph them when you could just shoot a leaf?  Well, several species have gained popularity as pets and they are a fascinating educational tool.  The living world really is incredible and we want to showcase this as much as possible.

Leaf insects are only active at night.  During the day they climb onto a branch and hang by their front legs, blending right in with the leaves.  The ultimate camouflage.

MILLIPEDES

Millipedes are among the first animals to have colonised land during the Silurian period and presently there are approximately 12000 named species. 

Although the name “millipede” derives from the Latin for “thousand feet”, no species was known to have 1000 or more until the discovery of Eumillipes persephone, which can have over 1,300 legs.  We heard their local shoe shop ran out of stock!

Millipedes come in a variety of body shapes and sizes which vary greatly between major millipede groups. They are all characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments and can have as few as eleven to over three hundred segments.  Each double legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together.  Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies. Their heads are typically rounded above and flattened below and bear a pair of large mandibles in front of a plate-like structure called a “jaw lip”. The head also contains a single pair of antennae.  

They are generally black or brown in colour, although there are a few brightly coloured species and some have aposematic colouring to warn that they are toxic. Millipedes do not bite, and their defensive secretions are mostly harmless to humans  For this reason, the species we work with are safe for working with actors and models, including children.

Millipedes have also inspired and played roles in scientific research. In 1963 a walking vehicle with 36 legs was designed, said to have been inspired by a study of millipede locomotion and experimental robots have had the same inspiration; in particular when heavy loads are needed to be carried in tight areas involving turns and curves. Recently a group of scientists named a newly discovered species of millipede from Tennessee after Taylor Swift. 

The largest modern species reach maximum lengths of 27-38cm.  They’re an impressive species to observe, photograph and film.

PRAYING MANTIS

Mantises contain over 2,400 species. They are among the insects most commonly kept as pets; presumably because they’re fascinating and beautiful.

They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all have forelegs that are greatly enlarged. 

Adults are elongate and usually brown, green, or yellowish; a single species can have all three colour phases, Mantises have upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name “praying mantis”.  They are among the largest insects. Adults generally range from 5–12cm long.

A cultural trope popular in cartoons imagines the female mantis as a femme fatale. It ends Isabella Rossellini’s short film about the life of a praying mantis in her 2008 Green Porno season for the Sundance Channel. And Zorak, a character from Space Ghost, is also a mantis. Gerald Durrell’s humorously autobiographical 1956 book My Family and Other Animals includes a four page account of a battle between a mantis and a gecko.  As you can see, they’re found in popular culture more than you may imagine.

As insects come in all colours, shapes and sizes.  They’re utterly fascinating, and even though they may make some people shudder, others see real beauty in them.  In fact, very many species are kept as pets in the UK, particularly in the world of exotics.

They are interesting creatures to watch develop and are great to interact with; though clearly their delicacy means they must be handled with great care.   That being said, they can be safely handled in studio shoots and make interesting accompaniments to fashion photography and editorials, commercial branding campaigns and much more.  We think close ups of these fascinating creatures are super cool. 

The less squeamish models and actors can be easily instructed how to work with a wide variety of insect species.  Additionally, as their movement is so interesting, the moving image is great to capture.  Whether you’re filming for TV or film, insects can be filmed out on location or on set in a studio.

We supply professional animal location handlers around the world to ensure you get all the shots you require and, as overseers to ensure the wild is not disturbed, the crew will always be safe and no welfare regulations are ever breached.

It isn’t just the animals that are well trained, our team including our handlers are also highly experienced and fully qualified experts in the field. 

Your handler will take full control of any animals on set and ensure the entire shoot runs properly. They will also fully manage the welfare of all the animals both on and off set; the safety and welfare of the animals is their prime concern.  All of our handling is strictly force-free and only positive, reward based practices are deployed. This way you can have total confidence that by booking With The Animal Talent everything is taken care of legally, professionally and ethically.

The Performing Animals Licence is no longer relevant (it was scrapped in 2019) and has been replaced with the Animal Activity Licence, which we hold.

Our handler is covered by a £10 million Public Liability Insurance policy. 

Some insect species require higher temperatures to be comfortable.  Please discuss the individual needs of the insect with our handler prior to filming.  As insects are so delicate, care should be taken when handling.

If any species of animal listed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act are required, special measures will need to be put into place for the shoot. Precisely what is appropriate will vary species to species, but may include sectioned off areas where only trained handlers are allowed. In the event of large and dangerous carnivores, a specifically built green screen studio can also be supplied.