History Main / LiteralSurveillanceBug

* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' has surveillance ''bats''.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/SpyKids https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/R_A_L_P_H__6200.jpg]]]]

* R.A.L.P.H. (imaged above) the ''Robotic Arachnid Lithium Photo Helper'' from the ''Film/SpyKids'' series.

* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' has surveillance ''bats''.

* The bird in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''.

[[folder:{{Anime}}]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* In ''Comicbook/AstroCity'', although Jack-In-The-Box [[PassingTheTorch trains a replacement]] due to familial obligations, he follows the new Jack with a remote-controlled flying spy camera and provides him with [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection real-time situational updates.]]
* In ''Comicbook/TheMightyThor'' #357-8, the villains' secret base has an insect infestation that's actually a swarm of Literal Surveillance Bugs created by their own GadgeteerGenius, who is working with them unwillingly and wants to know what they say when he's not around.

-->'''Mr. Burns:''' Oh, worried about bugs, are we? I eat bugs for breakfast. ''Let them eat static!''
-->'''FBI Agent:''' It... it's still working. I can hear chewing and swallowing.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' had surveillance ''bats''.
* One popped up in the 2008 remake of ''Film/GetSmart'', where Bruce and Lloyd capture a small robotic fly.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

-->'''Barclay:''' Oh that's Roy.
-->'''EMH:''' Don't tell me -- another hologram?
-->'''Barclay:''' It was developed for Starfleet Intelligence; an experiment in micro-surveillance.

[[folder:TabletopRPG]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

[[folder:WebComics]]

-->"I don't know what tricks they're using to find me yet… my current theory is that they've bugged my bugs."

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', [[BigBad Nox]] uses these for both surveillance and to gather [[LifeEnergy wakfu]] from all over the world.

[[folder:RealLife]]

* In Literature/PandorasStar, also by Peter F. Hamilton, [[AlwaysGetsHisMan Paula Myo]] and her team use modified insects to spy past privacy shields that scramble any electronic attempts at spying.

* There was a fly "bug" in development in the original ''Series/GetSmart,'' but Max (of course) thought it was a real fly and swatted it.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'' has you deploy a spider-like bug named Ziggy during the Colossus mission, [[DoAnythingRobot equipped with a camera, microphone, wall-climbing capabilities, hacking equipment and a short ranged stun device]].

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the Dysian Aimans are HiveMinds controlling hundreds or thousands of small arthropods they call hordelings (small arthropods in general are usually called 'cremlings in universe). [[TheWormthatWalks They can form them into a surprisingly convincing human shape]] but they can also use some of them as remote observation agents. An unknown number of Dysians have taken an interest in the series main characters and apparently are the in-universe authors of the back cover blurbs for the novels. The exact nature of their interest is currently unknown. Since this was revealed fans have made a bit of a game of trying to spot the Dysian spies. One is confirmed, the cremling that appears in the epilogue of ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance''.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': A few times they've been used:
** Not only bug-shaped but also with a cloaking field in "Ayla and the Tests".
** Cyber-Swarm specializes in them.
[[/folder]]

* Non-sci-fi example: VeronicaMars once planted a bug inside a paperweight of a beetle.

* In ''Fanfic/GameTheoryFanFic'', Megane primarily uses her [[SummonMagic summoned insects]] for discrete surveillance.

->''They had a bug in the appropriate conference chamber -- literally a fly on the wall.''

* ''Fanfic/StarlightOverDetrot'' has the Ladybugs - Magically constructed out of parasprites and a host of other things, they can telepathically share information across their HiveMind, and to anyone wearing one of the bugs.

* Not only bug-shaped but also with a cloaking field in "Ayla and the Tests" of the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. You have to be really sneaky to get past other genius inventors.
* In ''{{Literature/Worm}}'', Taylor eventually learns to interpret the data from the bugs [[MinionMaster which she controls]]. Even one or two bugs in a room are enough for audio surveillance to some extent, and just [[ParanoiaFuel consider how many insects are around you]] ''[[ParanoiaFuel right now.]]''
** Even before that, she could keep track of where the bugs were. [[DownplayedTrope While this didn't allow for precise intelligence, it allowed her to track people within her power's range and determine the layout of an area.]]

* ''TooHuman'': a CyberPunk adaptation of Myth/NorseMythology, turns [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huginn_and_Muninn Huginn and Muninn]] into robotic birds with zoom-lens eyes.

* The Humongous Entertainment ''SpyFox'' games have Walter Wireless the Tracking Bug, a Walter-Cronkite-impersonating bug whom Spy Fox drops into the bad spy's purse, or whatever. He gives news reports on the villain's status while riding with them.

All of this on top of the fact that bugs themselves are rather unobtrusive, and people don't usually shriek in horror when there's just a random bug hanging around, minding its own business. As a result, they tend to be both cool and practical. It's hardly surprising that this trope appears in ScienceFiction, {{Fantasy}}, and [[ScienceFantasy everything in-between]].

* Not only bug-shaped but also with a cloaking field in "Ayla and the Tests" of the WhateleyUniverse. You have to be really sneaky to get past other genius inventors.

* R.A.L.P.H. (imaged above) the ''Robotic Arachnid Lithium Photo Helper'' from the ''SpyKids'' series.

* There's a bard in ''ScrappedPrincess'' who learned to control swarms of robotic bugs running on LostTechnology and uses them, among other things, for spying on people.

* The Spyders in ''Film/MinorityReport''.
* A cockroach (with a really obvious set of surveillance gear strapped on its back) in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. Leading to a hilarious moment when the President squashes it and the man listening receives the noise of the strike many louder plus feedback.