Insecta: Science That Stings

Insecta is a short documentary film following the scientists and researchers who study entomology, the branch of zoology that deals with the scientific analyzation of insects.

This insect documentary takes us on an exploration into nature science, both visiting some of the most painful insect bites known to man and gaining an inside look into the fascinating zoology behind entomology.

Like several of the other fields that are categorized within zoology, entomology is a taxon-based category; any form of scientific study in which there is a focus on insect-related inquiries is, by definition, entomology.

Entomology therefore overlaps with a cross-section of topics as diverse as molecular genetics, behavior, biomechanics, biochemistry, systematics, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, morphology, and paleontology.

At some 1.3 million described species, insects account for more than two-thirds of all known organisms, some dating back some 400 million years, and have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on earth.

In modern times however, insect population is in decline in all parts of the world. Flying insects in the Puerto Rican national forests alone have declined over 75% the last 25 years. In the last 35 years, beetle and bee population have plummeted over 45%.

These numbers keep growing, making it vital for us to research and understand these declines. Understanding insects through the science of entomology has given us an inside view as to how vulnerable some of these ecosystems are.

Created by documentary film maker Cody M. Sheehy for the Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona, this documentary hopes to shine light on the education, science and the diverse insect world of an, usually, unseen world.