, ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁It ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Dar in ▁Morgan , ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁Kim ▁Mann ers . ▁The ▁episode ▁is ▁a ▁" Mon ster - of - the - Week " ▁story , ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁plot ▁which ▁is ▁un connected ▁to ▁the ▁series ' ▁wider ▁myth ology . ▁" W ar ▁of ▁the ▁Cop roph ages " ▁earned ▁a ▁N iel sen ▁household ▁rating ▁of ▁ 1 0 . 1 , ▁being ▁watched ▁by ▁ 1 6 . 3 2 ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁its ▁initial ▁broadcast . ▁The ▁episode ▁received ▁mostly ▁positive ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics , ▁who ▁pra ised ▁its ▁hum orous ▁tone . ▁ ▁The ▁show ▁cent ers ▁on ▁F BI ▁special ▁agents ▁Fox ▁Mul der ▁( David ▁Duch ov ny ) ▁and ▁D ana ▁S cul ly ▁( G ill ian ▁Anderson ) ▁who ▁work ▁on ▁cases ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁par an ormal , ▁called ▁X - Files . ▁In ▁this ▁episode , ▁Mul der ▁investig ates ▁a ▁small ▁town ▁pl ag ued ▁by ▁death s ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁bodies ▁are ▁found ▁covered ▁in ▁co ck ro aches . ▁Working ▁from ▁home , ▁S cul ly ▁has ▁scientific ▁explan ations ▁for ▁all ▁of ▁them , ▁but ▁Mul der — at ▁the ▁crime ▁scene ▁with ▁an ▁attract ive ▁bug ▁expert — s us pect s ▁the ▁insect s ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁organ ic , ▁or ▁earth ly . ▁ ▁" W ar ▁of ▁the ▁Cop roph ages " ▁was ▁Dar in ▁Morgan ' s ▁third