What has six legs, a fuzzy back and flies? Entomologist Tom Eisner knows, and he's probably tasted it too. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, things most of us don't want to talk about, from Bombardier Beetles to the Spanish fly. The amazing world of insects, on To the Best of Our Knowledge.

SEGMENT 1

Cornell University biologist Tom Eisner loves bugs. He tells Steve Paulson why and cites the amazing Bombardier Beetle (which attacks its enemies with jets of boiling toxic chemicals) as an example of a truly fascinating bug.

SEGMENT 2:

University of Arizona entomologist Stephen Buchman and Gary Nabhan, director of science for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, have co-authored a book called "The Forgotten Pollinators." They tell Jim Fleming that without pollinating insects, we would lose about a third of our foods, and that pollinators (especially honey bees) are at risk from disease and habitat degradation. Also, Penn State biologist James Marden tells Judy Strasser that he's close to being able to explain one of the greatest mysteries in entomology: how insects learned to fly.

SEGMENT 3:

Biologist Roger Knutson tells Jim Fleming about the many insects that make their homes on human beings. We're not just talking fleas here! Knutson taught biology at Luther College in Iowa for over thirty years and is the author of "Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to Creatures Who Live on You."

Distribution dates:

• week of 09/07/97 - hour 2