On demand now on YouTube or watch Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV
"Insecta: Science That Stings" features leading insect scientists as they explore the painful stings and the fascinating science behind a variety of bugs as they study the often unseen world surrounding us. The half-hour documentary offers an intimate look at the people with a passion for bugs and discovers why they study the creatures that many people avoid, even capturing YouTube star Coyote Peterson as he is intentionally stung by a tarantula hawk.
![YouTube star Coyote Peterson intentionally stinging himself with a tarantula hawk spider.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/cd99132/2147483647/strip/true/crop/914x563+39+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2F52%2Febdc91124902ac468832eb140e84%2Fcoyoting-stinging-himself.jpg)
Through interviews with entomologists Cara Gibson, Wendy Moore and Justin Schmidt, the film illuminates the intriguing features and striking appearance of different insects, including the bombardier beetle that can generate a small chemical explosion when touched. The program also delves into what bugs can tell us about the history of life on earth.
Presented by KUAT / Arizona Public Media. Distributed by American Public Television.
![Digital ant](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/1a52775/2147483647/strip/true/crop/914x563+25+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F5e%2F29%2Fffd490c44a1d988b9f9220858665%2Fcopy-of-digital-ant.jpg)