The Best Spiders, Beetles & Bugs Documentaries

Nature & Wildlife - 72 free documentaries about spiders, beetles & bugs.

Start with What Jumping Spiders Teach Us About Color (33 min, Veritasium), then Praying Mantises - Deadly Killers of the Insect World (30 min, Free Documentary). All 72 documentaries here are free to watch from their makers' official uploads. To read deeper, the top-rated book on spiders, beetles & bugs is Buzz, Sting, Bite by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson.

• What Jumping Spiders Teach Us About Color (33 min, Veritasium)
• Praying Mantises - Deadly Killers of the Insect World (30 min, Free Documentary - Nature)
• The Insane Biology of: The Dragonfly (19 min, Real Science)
• Is spider web really stronger than steel? (27 min, Veritasium)
• The Insane Biology of: The Cicada (21 min, Real Science)
• The Insane Biology of: The Praying Mantis (40 min, Real Science)
• The Mystery of Synchronous Fireflies - Smarter Every Day 274 (20 min, Smarter Every Day)
• The Tiny World Of Insects (55 min, BBC Earth)
• Bed Bugs- What You've Been Told is Totally False (24 min, Mark Rober)
• Dragonflies Are Not What You Think (23 min, Real Science)
• I Vacuum Venom from the World's Deadliest Spider (9 min, Veritasium)
• Encountering Deadly Spiders in The Amazon | Pole to Pole with Will Smith (29 min, National Geographic)
• Wildlife - Just Insects (52 min, Free Documentary - Nature)
• World's Biggest & Baddest Bugs! (90 min, Free Documentary - Nature)
• Incredible Insects Of The Amazon | Mini Monsters Of Amazonia (43 min, Real Wild)
• Why Scorpions Glow in the Dark (10 min, Veritasium)
• The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain (12 min, Be Smart)
• 30 Minutes of Calming Bug Sounds + Lo-Fi Chill Beats | A Real Bug's Life (30 min, Nat Geo Animals)
• 8 Legged Killers | World's Deadliest (45 min, Nat Geo Animals)
• Making a liquid that attracts biting insects (1-octen-3-ol) (20 min, NileRed)
• Why Jumping Spiders Have the Coolest (and DEADLIEST) Eyes in Nature (16 min, Be Smart)
• The Dirtiest Bug Jobs | Dirty Jobs (23 min, Discovery)
• Tiny Titans - The Fascinating World of Insects (49 min, Free Documentary - Nature)
• LIVE 🔴 The Tiny World Of Insects (54 min, BBC Earth)
• The Insane Biology of: The Mantis Shrimp (26 min, Real Science)
• How Scorpions Became Earth’s Ultimate Survivors (15 min, Be Smart)
• The Fascinating World of Spiders (22 min, BBC Earth)
• The Hidden World of Bugs | Secrets of Wild Australia Ep106 (48 min, Love Nature)
• Why Spider Silk is Stronger Than Steel (18 min, Real Science)
• Praying Mantis – The Insect Killer | Wild Italy | Episode 4 (50 min, Free Documentary - Nature)
• NASA's Dragonfly Mission to Titan (15 min, Real Engineering)
• Insects: Nature's Little Super Heroes (52 min, Real Wild)
• The Spider The Size Of A Dinner Plate (50 min, Real Wild)
• Why Are We So Scared Of Spiders? (54 min, Real Wild)
• Spider vs Penis (Priapism) - Smarter Every Day 98 (13 min, Smarter Every Day)
• Giant Poisonous Spider: Amazon Terror | Man v. Monster (47 min, Nat Geo Animals)
• Peacock Mantis Shrimp - An Explosion of Color Under the Sea | Alien Abyss 101 (50 min, Love Nature)
• Bugs: Nature’s Little Superheroes | Tiny Insects Solving Humanity's Biggest Problem (52 min, Moconomy)
• Evolution of Insect Armor: Exploring Exoskeletons (50 min, Real Wild)
• Travelling To Australia's Only Spider-Free Destination | Lord Howe Island - Pacific Eden (53 min, Real Wild)
• I Tried Eating Bugs… Here's What I Learned (16 min, Be Smart)
• Australia’s Wild Extremes: Insects and Survival | Secrets of Wild Australia: 106+107 (96 min, Love Nature)
• Scorpions & Mantises: The Tiny Killers | Attack and Defend 103 (23 min, Love Nature)
• Why Dung Beetles Stare At the Stars | IN OUR NATURE (17 min, Be Smart)
• Fighting Spiders Reunion: How Are The Spider Boys (& Girls) Now? | On The Red Dot (23 min, CNA Insider)
• Deadly Hunters With Shocking Survival Skills | Attack and Defend: 103+104 (46 min, Love Nature)
• Do Mantis Shrimp Have The World's Best Eyes? | Animal Senses Ep103 (24 min, Love Nature)
• Africa's Dung Beetles: The Ultimate Recyclers | Wildlife Icons Ep103 (46 min, Love Nature)
• Mantis Shrimp Punches Crab’s Arm Off | Deadly Australians Ep104 (48 min, Love Nature)
• Why The Mantis Is Secretly A Killing Machine (30 min, Real Wild)
• How Do Insects Outsmart Predators? (49 min, Real Wild)
• Crazy Monsters: Spiders 🕷️ FULL EPISODE (46 min, Smithsonian Channel)
• The Role of Insects in Scientific Discovery (20 min, BBC Studios)
• Bed Bugs & Dust Mites: Are These Tiny Insects Living In Your Bed? | Talking Point (23 min, CNA Insider)
• Don’t Be Fooled, This Cute Bug Is a Ruthless Killer | Webs & Wings 103 (52 min, Love Nature)
• Ambush Hunting Tarantula Shows No Mercy | Secrets of Wild Australia 106 (48 min, Love Nature)
• Why Do These Scorpions Glow in the Dark? | Arabian Inferno 104 (48 min, Love Nature)
• The World's LARGEST Bugs: Prehistoric & Present Day Giants (90 min, Real Wild)
• How Insect Species Adapt To Survive In The Wild (55 min, Real Wild)
• Unveiling Nature's Miniature Marvels And How They Survive | Amazing Animals (25 min, Real Wild)
• The Secret Life Of Insects (51 min, Real Wild)
• PLANET INSECT | Rare Footage of Insect Rituals | 4K (54 min, Real Wild)
• Can Ladybug DNA Fight Off Cancer? | Bugs: Nature's Little Superheroes (52 min, Real Wild)
• Spiders Can Fly Now?! | Webs & Wings 101 (52 min, Love Nature)
• Bugworld: Do Bugs Rule The World?! (49 min, Real Wild)
• ANCIENT INSECTS | How Dragonflies Outlived The Dinosaurs | 4K (23 min, Real Wild)
• Insects Are Taking Over The Planet | Bugsworld (49 min, Real Wild)
• Spiderman Burglar Steals Millions: Scaling Over 30FT With No Tools | Daring Capers S1 EP10 (26 min, Wonder)
• 6 Highly Toxic Creatures 🦂 Smithsonian Channel (21 min, Smithsonian Channel)
• Would You Eat Insects to Help the Planet? I NOVA Now (30 min, NOVA PBS Official)
• 6 Creepy Killer Insects That’ll Make Your Skin Crawl 🐛 Smithsonian Channel (18 min, Smithsonian Channel)
• 10 Terrifying Spiders & Insects 🕷 Smithsonian Channel (22 min, Smithsonian Channel)

Top-Rated Books About Spiders, Beetles & Bugs

1. Buzz, Sting, Bite by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson - View on Amazon
2. Insectopedia by Hugh Raffles - View on Amazon
3. Silent Earth by Dave Goulson - View on Amazon
4. The Insect Crisis by Oliver Milman - View on Amazon