While engaged in typical foraging activity, insects and other arthropods encounter a variety of microbiological and chemical agents present in the environment. A focus of our work has been to determine how this naturally occurring phenomenon can be harnessed for broad-scale environmental mapping and targeted surveillance of bioterrorism and other agents of human concern. The long-term goal of our research is to develop strategies for the detection of specific and multiple agents within defined habitats based on taxonomic variations in the behavioral and ecological attributes of commonly occurring arthropod species. This talk will present an overview of our experimental work with indigenous arthropod communities and strategic release-recaptures, and applications for the surveillance of bioterrorism and other agents including emerging diseases.