This episode we discuss the Reduviidae family, colloquially known as assassin bugs. There are many different kinds and all of them are cunning hunters that turn their prey into Capri Suns and some turn them into fashion. While most are beneficial, there is a deadly exception! Tangents include Naruto ninjas, Elizabeth Wheatley, and Detective Comics Comics' character Ambush Bug.    Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-assassins   This Podcast Will Kill You episode about Chagas Disease: https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/2021/09/07/episode-81-chagas-disease-the-reverse-triple-discovery/   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography and creating the All Bugs Go To Kevin group.

This week's episode is about a fairly unremarkable aquatic beetle. Tangents include AI generated images, Chris Angel, Hugh Jackman, and horror novels. Includes spoilers for The Prestige. VIDEO OF THE ESCAPE: https://youtu.be/_W0UJD_i3Mo   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/one-trick-magician Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and some assistance from a few cats.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Kelly has now become Dr Kelly. Much of the episode is about the process of earning a doctorate. The rest of the episode is devoted to discussion of fruit flies, art history, swords, and friend of the pod, Dr Ped. Dr Kelly's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/dr-drosophila Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and some hinderance from a few cats.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

We are taking a break while Kelly mounts her defense.

Finally, a bug Amanda recognizes! Fortunately, she doesn't know anything about them still so we can have an episode all about spittlebugs (aka froghoppers) and what makes them a true bug. Tangents include the fabric arts, little kid germs, and the grief of aging (as relayed by Bluey).   Kelly's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/bubble-bug   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and some hinderance from a few cats.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This time we are joined by Bradon Coy of Lil Dudes Insect Academy to discuss his programs, eusocial insects (particularly Argentine Ants), and our favorite bug movies. Lil' Dudes Insect Academy website Lil Dudes Insect Academy on Youtube Please check out our reading lists and feel free to recommend other books. We'll make Kelly read them before putting them on the list. The lists are not connected to Amazon or anything so we make no money off of them. Adult list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/189312.Bugs_Need_Heroes_Recommended_Reading Kid's list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/189303.Bug_Books_For_Kids Happy reading! Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and some assistance from Chelsey Bawden and a few cats.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This week Kelly and Amanda talk about an insect that is a fly in name only. These aquatic insects are know for their large size and fierce appearance. These Tangents include peeing in the woods, gnats, and cats (always).   Kelly's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/heckgrammite   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and some assistance from Chelsey Bawden and a few cats.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode we are joined by another bug hero: Dr Emily Durkin! We talk about her research looking at tiny mites that ride around on fruit flies. Tangents include mosquitoes, hornworms, and pets --including pet jumping spiders!   Emily Durkin's website is here! You can follow Emily on Bluesky!   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with ZERO assistance from Camazotz Conrad.  Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Check out this page from the Mono Lake Committee to see images discussed in this episode.   This episode Kelly and Amanda discuss a strange family of flies that live in liquids that would kill other animals. There are around 130 genera described in Ephydridae, but we mostly focus on two species endemic to California which live in the La Brea Tar Pits and Mono Lake. Tangents include the musical Wicked, bears, Christmas, Robin Hood, and deaths at National Parks.   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/sodanaut   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

We talk to Christy Bills of the Natural History Museum of Utah about invertebrate collections, fireflies, and legacies.   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with some assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This time we are joined by Ben Knowlton and Zillah Smith of There Will Be Bugs Podcast to talk about one of their favorite bugs, the American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus). These beetles have it all: battles, mites, and an endangered species listing. But most importantly they have each other. Tangents include tattoos, cats (always!), scale insects, coyotes, and what it's like not being an entomologist. Check out Zillah's artwork on their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zillahsmith/ Check out There Will Be Bugs on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/there_will_be_bugs/ Check out Zillah's website: https://www.zillahsmith.com/   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Kelly and Producer Derek are back from the ESA conference in Pheonix and Kelly shares some stories. Technically this isn't a bug, but the evolutionary arms race between scorpions and their predators has created a truly terrific terror. Tangents include butterflies, the difference between venom and poison, Disney, and vikings. Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/mousy-the-hunter   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bugsneedheroes.bsky.social Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This is an episode we banked during the summer. Kelly and Amanda discuss velvet ants, which are not actually ants at all. And the Bee-Team lore expands ever onward! Tangents include Zendaya at the Met Gala, Ultraman, and anime villains.   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-moo-derer   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

Amanda tells us about the life and work of Dutch entomologist and painter Maria Sibylla Merian.    Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

This time we are joined by our friend Dr Mike Glynn to talk about cats for our Halloween episode. Lots of stories of our dear pets both current and past. A few try to join the podcast! You can watch the recording from our panel at Rose City Comic Con in 2024 here: https://youtu.be/Zkl70GcOkYU   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

We are back from hiatus and you can really tell with this episode. Kelly and Amanda get all the wiggles out with this very wiggly bug. This episode is more explicit than usual with a very unusual critter.   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/my-neighbor-velvet-worm   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

We'll be back in the fall!

This week we are joined once again by Kevin Wiener of All Bugs Go To Kevin. Kevin has a deep love for brown recluses and hopes to dispel some of the fear around this significant arachnid. Tangents include grief, voice notes, and cats. And a special life update from Kevin at the end of the episode. Kevin's spider heartbeat video: https://youtu.be/BomIw3TjCRA JAMA paper about the NOT RECLUSE mnemonic: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2603498 NPR article about it: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/16/515576450/is-that-a-brown-recluse-spider-bite-or-skin-cancer   The millipede lab at Virginia Tech mentioned at the end of the episode where Kevin forgot Dr Paul Marek's name: https://millipedes.ento.vt.edu/   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

It's NATIONAL MOTH WEEK! We are celebrating by discussing a really hefty bug. A real chonker. There are over 1400 species of Sphingidae moths, and they start as juicy, mouthwatering caterpillars. It is a bug that Amanda has met and you may find in your garden on your tomatoes! We discuss some of their impressive adaptations as we create a character inspired by them. Tangents include ugly babies, summer fun, and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.    Learn how to attract moths and count them for science! https://nationalmothweek.org/mothing-101/   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-model-organism   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

Amanda tries (and fails) to resist singing the hit single from 2009 by Owl City as we talk about the Lampyridae family of beetles. They have many names, all of them deceptive. They are not flies, they do not produce heat or lightning, and they are not worms, but they are very buggy. Tangents include the book/film adaptation Where'd You Go Bernadette, the Fey, and several other things that Producer Derek has forgotten because he had to cut so much (future bonus episode?)   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/flonase-technicolor   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. Special thanks to Kevin Weiner for sharing his photography.

It's a rambunctious episode as Just the Zoo of Us Podcast host Ellen Weatherford joins us to settle a debate: are shrimps bugs? Are mantis shrimps shrimps? We discuss how they may or may not be turning into crabs and what they might think of sunsets. Tangents include Godzilla, weddings, pet store stories, internet memes, Sailor Moon and anime translations.   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-painbow   Also Mentioned in This Episode: Ellen Weatherford's podcast Just the Zoo of Us Episode 101 (Mantis Shrimp with Alice Chou) of Just the Zoo of Us  Episode 19 (Quokka and Peacock Mantis Shrimp) of Just the Zoo of Us Episode 226 (Cicadas with Nick VanAcker) of Just the Zoo of Us Episode 91 (Periodical Cicadas and Portuguese Man of War) of Just the Zoo of Us RadioLab "Colors" episode The Oatmeal: "Why the Mantis Shrimp is My New Favorite Animal"   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Remain calm.   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This week Kelly and Amanda talk about an extremely buggy bug. Is this best bug? Maybe! Tangents include why chess sucks, scrub jays, and spoilers for The Menu.   Kelly's Field Notes for this episode: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-dash   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Content Warning for the episode: discussion of adult topics, including sexual assault and BDSM. This week Amanda and Kelly discuss a weird group of beetles and its unusual life history and its role in history as a supposed aphrodisiac. Although we mostly focus on the Oil Beetles (Meloe genus), we also talk about some other blister beetles including spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria). Tangents include juicy spiders, the aristocracy, Strong Bad, and historical dress.   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/marquis-de-beetle Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

While this moth itself isn't very impressive, it has had an interesting story coinciding with the industrial revolution and the theory of evolution. Kelly discusses genetics and industrial melanism. Amanda discusses dinosaurs and dancing.    We recorded video for this episode and a portion of it is on youtube if you want to see pictures of the moths: https://youtu.be/c5pgfBdBCBk   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/pepper-and-the-pollution-solution Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

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Another cute bug this week! Mole crickets live in the soil and build musical instruments to augment their melodies. Tangents include Disney movies, exploding whales, marching band energy. And Kelly still hasn't seen A Bug's Life.   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/underground-musician   The KATU News footage of the exploding whale in Florence, Oregon 1970: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6CLumsir34   Listen to a recording of the Northern Mole Cricket (Neocurtilla hexadactyla) on the Singing Insects of North America (SINA) webpage: https://orthsoc.org/sina/351a.htm   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

On this week's episode, we talk about the spring-time sensation: carpet beetles! We also discuss how their cousins in the Dermestidae family are used in taxidermy and forensic entomology. We contrast the amazing eating abilities of carpet beetles with some of the misfits of DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes. Tangents in this episode dogs (both good and hot), being too hot, having long hair, and the genre of True Crime. Also in this episode, an unexpected visitor!   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/sweater-eater-lad   Carpet Beetle takes flight: https://imgur.com/a/O5zSKbA   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This week Amanda and Kelly are joined by Roger McMullan to talk about periodical Cicadas and his graphic novel about them. Amanda has never seen a cicada. We talk about predator satiation, brooding, and the ever-present desire to scream. Tangents include road trips, lantern flies, eating bugs. Mentioned in the episode: Roger's graphic novel: https://mcmullanhouse.org/portfolio/cicadapocalypse/   Cicada ID app: https://www.cicadasafari.org/   "Singing Sushi" Recipe: https://www.montclair.edu/newscenter/2021/05/19/cicadas-safe-to-eat-sustainable-delicious-recipes/   Edible Insect Ambassadors, Brooklyn Bugs: https://www.brooklynbugs.com/   NPR story about the 2024 double emergence: https://www.npr.org/2024/01/21/1225925053/billions-of-cicadas-will-buzz-this-spring-as-two-broods-emerge-at-the-same-time   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode we discuss an adventurous arachnid with a powerful presence and a tender heart. Tangents include cookies, the films of George Lucas, and the parietal eye of some almost-lizards.   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork:  https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/dr-m-grampus   Arachnid poaching was mentioned in this podcast. Watch them dig in All Bugs Go To Kevin!   Huge thanks to Bailey Russell for sharing their knowledge and passion for these bugs!   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode Amanda learns about a bug didn't know that she kinda knew when we discuss Robber Flies (family Asilidae). We talk about their protective beards, mobile pupae, impressive disguises. Tangents include Michael Fassbender, Percy Jackson, and other bugs that we love. Can you we've been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 lately?   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork:  https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/bearded-bobby-the-brigand   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode contains discussion of sexual behaviors in katydids, which is surprisingly gross.  This is our Valentine's Day episode. This week we try to discuss katydids (Family: Tettigoniidae) but we get awfully off track. Tangents include discounted chocolate, PalWorld vs Pokemon, the musical CATS, and many other things that we had to cut for time. And Kelly gives an update on becoming Dr Kelly.   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork:  https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-good-katy   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode contains discussion of sexual behaviors in isopods and other animals. This week we are joined by Dr Scott Kight of Montclair State University to discuss terrestrial isopods. They are known by many common names and come in two basic shapes: runners and rollers. Dr Kight has used them to investigate questions about parental care and wider mysteries of biology. Tangents include the gut microbiome, tiktok, the pet trade, and the video games Death Stranding and Baldur's Gate 3 (no spoilers!). And a lot of discussion about sex and reproduction. We also ask if you can eat them and if shrimps is bugs (yes).   Scott Kight - Profile Pages - Montclair State University   Field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-roller-girls   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Desdemona Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

We talked to Kevin for quite a while so here's a bit more with him!

This week we talk to Kevin Wiener about the facebook group he created that has attracted 160k would-be bug enthusiasts. We talk about overcoming fear, holding spiders, the importance of insects and integrated pest management.    Check out the All Bugs Go To Kevin facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/allbugsgotokevin   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Desdemona Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. And thank you to the Entomological Society of America for the Chrysalis Fund grant.

Kelly and Amanda catch up after the holidays to talk about the viral meme circulating around the Sol de Janeiro Delícia Drench Body Butter sold at Sephora. We talk about the precedent of perfumes and other scents being attractive to animals whether intentionally or not and how likely or unlikely that is for wolf spiders specifically. Kelly reviews the lotion and Amanda discusses her fear of big cats. The manufacturer has said that there is no evidence of their product attracting spiders, but we kind of wish it did. For more reading, check this article in Newsweek about the meme: https://www.newsweek.com/sol-de-janeiro-body-lotion-attracting-wolf-spiders-1856504   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Desdemona Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic. And thank you to the Entomological Society of America for the Chrysalis Fund grant.

This episode we decided to three topics: christmas beetles, two species of hairstreak butterflies which feed on mistletoe, and where bugs go during the winter. Tangents include Hallmark movies, Norse mythology, and yule goats. And assistant producer Desdemona interrupts to have some cat yogurt.   Field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/christmas-beetles   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Desdemona Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Amanda says she's never heard of this bug, but I know she has because it was on an episode of Kratt's Creatures that we watched as kids. However, it is nothing like either ants or lions. This puny predator puts its prey in pits! Tangents include pigeons, anime, and Jurassic Park vs The Hunger Games. Somehow, we never even mentioned the Sarlacc Pit from Star Wars.   Check out the character art and Kelly's Field Notes here: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-doodlebug   We adore the Doodlebug Oracle on Antlionpit.com   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

Kelly finally saw Across The Spider-verse! There are some mild spoilers in her review and the discussion that follows. In this episode, we discuss Kelly's favorite spider family: Lycosidae. Amanda designs a costume for if Kelly was bitten by a radioactive wolf spider. Tangents include yelling cats, fearful husbands, and the cursed knowledge of bird songs.   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

We invited Ellen Weatherford of Just The Zoo of Us podcast on to talk about Pokémon. As of generation 9, there are at least 92 different bug-type Pokémon. We discuss the hits, the misses, and the weird biology of these little guys and how they compare to the real world insect inspirations. Don't worry if you aren't familiar with the games, Kelly wasn't either.   Visual Aid for the parody of Fact or Fiction.   Check out /u/FallinDevast's fakemon on reddit.   Ellen's links! Her podcast: Just The Zoo of Us Her Instagram: ElksNeedle Her TikTok: @ellen.weatherford   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This is a special encore for Halloween. This episode was originally released in October 2022. A few new bat species have been recognized since then according to Bat Conservation International and the Bat Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic database.   In this episode, Kelly and Amanda invite Producer Derek on to talk about his heroes: the bats! What if Bruce Wayne had been bitten by a radioactive bat? Is Robin really the perfect partner for the caped crusader? Do bats really love a dark night? And most importantly, what is the cutest bat? Some references on the episode page: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/bats-need-heroes Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

For a spooky treat/trick, this episode we give a recap of Kelly's visit to Portland and discuss some of our favorite cryptids with special focus on the mysterious appearance of the Homer Simpson of Cryptids in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Tangents include swooping, Richard Gere, and legitimate chili strategies.   Also Mentioned in the Episode: Eyeshine chart from a cryptid website The Chapman School Swifts in Portland The Entomological Society of America   View the artwork and Kelly's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-harbingerhttps://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-brown-beetle   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with some assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We're back! Since Kelly is still working on becoming Doctor Kelly, Amanda hosts this episode all about bug and bug adjacent derivatives. Tangents include art history (OBVIOUSLY), air travel, and children being scared in grocery stores. Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BugsNeedHeroes Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We will be back in October.   If you are attending Rose City Comic Con on September 23, please say hello. We will presenting the panel "Wolverines Don't Howl: Actual Animal Super Powers," an earlier version of which eventually lead to this podcast. (Producer Derek will *attempt* to record it for our youtube page)   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BugsNeedHeroes Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This week we are joined by the entomologists at Arthro-Pod to talk about cockroaches! This is our biggest episode yet and conversation covers a wide range of tangents including our The Blue Beetle (the movie is good!), sexy Pokémon, how to best poison each other, "murder hornets", Danny Devito, the Elon Musk/Zuckerberg fight, and loose bugs. This is also the first episode where the topic of the show makes an appearance. So anyways, I started blatting... And Kelly still hasn't seen Across the Spider-verse.   Follow our guests on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow, @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36. Get their show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!   View the artwork and Derek's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-trash-man   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BugsNeedHeroes Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We talk about poop in this episode. A lot. You know this bug from the nature documentaries, but with seven thousand species, there's a lot you don't know about this romantic beetle. Tangents include whether Kelly has seen Across the Spider-verse yet (no), Julie of the Wolves, DC's Blue Beetle (no spoilers), Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and Kelly learns about a guy on a buffalo (a series of music videos by Jomo & The Possum Posse recut from a 1978 film). And we all learn about Amanda.   View the artwork and Kelly's Field Notes on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-brown-beetle   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with some assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This episode we interview Dr. Mathias Nordvig, Professor or Pre-Christian mythologies and Scandinavian folklore at the University of Colorado, Boulder. We chat about the differences between Norse and Nordic, bees in Nordic mythology, and why there is a general paucity of insect lore in Nordic mythology as a whole. Tangents include Loki, Amanda steps on a nail, Snorri Sturluson, Marvel's Thor and other animal lore. Dr. Nordvig has several books out about Nordic mythology (including a kid's book!) and has recently released his own translation of Völuspá: The Vision of the Witch, which Kelly read and loved. You can find it on https://www.hyldyr.com/. Follow Mathias on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathiasnordvig/ Check out his website: https://mathiasnordvig.com/ Listen to his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-sacred-flame/id1671438723 Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with some assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

It's just about time for National Moth Week!   In this episode we talk about Producer Derek's favorite moth: the cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae). Finally, a rival for Isabella Tigermoth. And this moth isn't alone in her fight against the noxious Stinking Willie; her fellow biocontrol agents include the tansy ragwort flea beetle (Longitarsus jacobaeae) and the ragwort seed head fly (Botanophila seneciella). This moth and her team are basically Superman, but for cows. Tangents include Animorphs, Spider-verse, being a goth kid, and John Wick.   Check out NationalMothWeek.org to learn more about how you can participate in this citizen science initiative.   Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/team-jacobaea Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad with some assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

In this episode we talk about Kelly's cat's favorite bug: the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Kelly rants about honeybees. Amanda teaches Kelly the term "caked up." Tangents include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believing in faeries, crocuses, and trying to remember Adrien Brody's name. Plus a bonus taste test that makes Amanda uncomfortable.   The spotted lanternfly smashing app is called Squishr. The taste test was of "DoomBloom" from The Philadelphia Bee Company   Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-bouncing-brute Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

In this episode, we discuss the arachnid order Opiliones, also known as Harvestmen or Daddy longlegs.  Easily confused with spiders, these detritivores have long had an urban legend about their mythical bite. But they are harmless and exhibit some impressive parental care. Also in this episode, Amanda talks about a car accident. Tangents include Bluey, Henry Cavill Sherlock, and a lot of talk about things dads enjoy (farts).   Kelly mentioned a video from Vine that showed the clumped up daddies. That has been rehosted here: https://youtu.be/JG3WXlykzhY Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-harvestman-as-played-by-pedro-pascal   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman Editing by Derek Conrad with assistance from Chelsey Bawden. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This episode with interview entomologist Kaitlyn O'Donnell to talk about a range of topics, but particularly her work with the invasive winter moth (Operophtera brumata) and her work at Norfolk County Mosquito Control. Tangents include the film Jupiter Ascending, bald eagles, and Amanda opens a can of worms called the biological species concept. Producer Derek highly recommends the documentaries Cane Toads: An Unnatural History and Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence but really any film by Mark Lewis is worth checking out.   Follow Kaitlyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entomol_oh_gee/ Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We recorded this episode before the release of the 2023 animated film Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse to discuss the heroes we expect to see in the film (Miles Morales, Jessica Drew, Gwen Stacy, and Miguel O'Hara), what we love about these characters, and to make wild speculation about the plot based on some of the comics we have read. We previously published an episode about Peter Parker in September 2022 discussing how that Spider-Man's powers compare to real life spiders. Tangents include Disney's Encanto, the dystopian setting of Marvel's Spider-Man 2099, the trouble with multiverse stories, and what Brian Michael Bendis is like as a college professor (adjunct).   This episode contains minor spoilers for The Mitchell's Vs The Machines and Spider-Man: No Way Home but does not have spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse unless we got lucky.   Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/across-the-spider-people Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

The vocab word of the day is cerci. Amanda proves she has been paying attention in this episode about perhaps the buggiest bug who ever bugged. This episode discusses the soil beasts who you may find in your bathroom and their outstanding parental care. Tangents in this episode include the moral capacity for evil in dolphins, garter snakes, and the films of Don Bluth (both real and imagined).    Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-super-mom Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Get ready to learn some entomology jargon! This episode is all about what a bug is. We discuss taxonomy, anatomy, how we are defining a "bug" in this podcast. If you've ever wondered if bugs are tasting you with their feet, this episode is for you. Tangents in this episode include eating ants, marine biology, and fiddler crabs in The Little Mermaid.   Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-basic-bug Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

The star of the cover of the VHS box art of the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs is here. This aesthetic insect has a dark secret! What relationship does she have with the bees, poisonous plants, and bad omens? Tangents in this episode include Ikea trips, targeted advertisements, and spoilers for American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Episode notes and artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-goth-moth Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Introducing the final member of our "Bee Team". Fastidious and precise! Guaranteed to blow your mind! Although they look intimidating, Cicada Killers (Sphecius spp) have been described as "the gentle giants of the wasp world." These gregarious wasps have a surprisingly survival strategy. Also in this episode, Amanda forgets to turn off her discord notifications and learns about insect wings.    Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-killer-queen Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

It is time! We recorded this episode back in January and saved it until it was time. It is time! It is time to put out your mason bee houses! Kelly describes the natural history of these powerful pollinators and Amanda quickly becomes infatuated. These belly-flopping bees are lemon-scented friends and they are as beautiful as the orchards they visit. And if you want these beneficial bugs in your backyard, you can set up a house for Osmia and other insects to use. Also in this episode, Amanda tries to show Kelly her ears.   Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-cottagecore-queen Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Kelly and Amanda start this episode talking about oral surgery but pivot to something slightly less scary: The Last of Us. There are many types of infectious fungi, but we focus on the cordyceps/ophiocordyceps species which infect terrestrial arthropods. We talk about some of the common zombie tropes, how fungi partner with trees, and how ants avoid their own apocalyptic fungal infections.    Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-last-of-ants Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This is an encore that you probably already heard before! Producer Derek accidently published this a second time, but its a good recap on ant behaviors before the CORDYCEPS episode. In this episode Amanda and Kelly discuss PAVEMENT ANTS (Tetramorium caespitum). You may have see them, their sand volcanos, or their wars. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-anti-hero See the heroes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This week we are joined by Dr. Pedram Daneshgar! We continue last week's discussion on plant super powers and their pollinators. We veer into plant defenses and regeneration, fungal relationships, gardening, and house plants! We tried to cover everything but if we didn't, we'd love another excuse to invite Ped back.   Ped's Lab Page: https://pedram34.wixsite.com/pedramdaneshgar Ped's Monmouth University page: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/pedram-daneshgar/ Ped's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeky.gardener/ Ped's Twitter: https://twitter.com/pedpatrick   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This week we are joined by Dr. Pedram Daneshgar! With the Bee Team almost completed, we wanted to talk to a botanist about pollination, but we quickly got off topic. We talk about invasive species, pollination, art history, and our favorite plant super heroes. This conversation was great and will continue into a second episode next week.   Ped's Lab Page: https://pedram34.wixsite.com/pedramdaneshgar Ped's Monmouth University page: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/pedram-daneshgar/ Ped's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeky.gardener/ Ped's Twitter: https://twitter.com/pedpatrick     Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

The Bombardier Beetle is a bug we've wanted to cover since the beginning and now that Derek's basement isn't flooded, we can! There are over 500 species of these beetles with some surprising life histories and a shared appreciation of boiling enemies alive with fake acid.  Also Amanda and Kelly talk about weddings and dragons.   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/explodey-joe   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We continue to assemble our Bee Team with a gentle giant. We discuss their similarities and differences in life history to the other two bees we have discussed. And it wouldn't be a Bugs Need Heroes episode without sneaking a little bit of art history discussion at the end!   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-fuzzy-friend   Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

The cave we keep Producer Derek in unfortunately flooded and he hasn't been able to polish off this week's episode! But no worries, Amanda is here with some apologetic bug jokes to tide you over until (hopefully) next week! She does not apologize for their badness. Happy Holidays!

Chocolate midges (Genus: Forcipomyia) are tiny flies that do one big thing for us. In size? Miniscule. In impact? Monstrous! It's a very distractible week on the pod. Topics range from super hero movies to royal journals to extinct birds! It's a very wild and sexy episode of Bugs Need Heroes.   Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-bean-bosses Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

We decided to watch and discuss the new release on Disney+, the 2022 Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. We talk about how Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff, compares to actual an actual mantis and whatever else wanders through our heads in this special holiday episode.   Recommended Links! Kevin Conroy's "Finding Batman" comic from DC Pride 2022 Annual #1: https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/dc-pride-2022-1/38309538-e865-422a-a732-79cfdc205440/ "Why 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' hero Drax resonates with the autism community" by Michael Rothman at ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Entertainment/guardians-hero-drax-resonates-autism-community/story?id=47283398 "Disneyland Cats: The Feral Cats Who Live In The Park": https://insidethemagic.net/2020/04/disneyland-cats-cb1mmb/ Pictures of some of Disneyland's resident cats: https://www.instagram.com/disneylandcats/   Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Bust out the picnic baskets and settle in for some social wasp discussion. The newest member of the Bee Team is fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack. Amanda confronts her prejudices after being stung. Kelly has never been stung. Producer Derek has been stung over twenty times. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/ms-buzz Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

In this episode, Kelly and Amanda invite Producer Derek on to talk about his heroes: the bats! What if Bruce Wayne had been bitten by a radioactive bat? Is Robin really the perfect partner for the caped crusader? Do bats really love a dark night? And most importantly, what is the cutest bat?   Some references on the episode page: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/bats-need-heroes   Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music is Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic.

This episode focuses on a subspecies of the Eastern Honey Bee, Apis cerana japonica, which has some unique and impressive behaviors to thwart would-be predators. Kelly discusses the Better Common Names Project, bee balls, and jello. Amanda discusses the times she was nearly killed by toothpaste, the judgement of a toddler, and the "murder hornets" of Washington state. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-burning-bee Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Content Warning for this episode: There is a story about the loss of a pet and brief mention of suicide from minutes 9-14.   In this episode, Amanda flexes her art history degree and Kelly adds another item to her shopping list. An example of remarkable behavioral convergence and sexual dimorphism gives us a double episode of big boy beetles with feudal stylings. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for these characters: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-big-boys Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Respect the hyphen! This episode is all about Peter Parker and how his powers compare to actual spiders. Is Spider-man amazing or simply spectacular? Is Tom Holland the best Spider-man yet? Where did Peter get his sick dance moves? Does the MCU need more dancing??? We have a lot of thoughts about these things.  Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-friendly-neighborhood-hero Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad. Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Is she good? She is bad? This episode features the focal species of Kelly's PhD research and Amanda learns some startling facts about what mosquitoes are up to when they aren't biting her ankles. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/kellys-nemesis   Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

CONTENT WARNING: Amanda tells a gross story about eating spoiled food in this collection of cut bits. Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Some cut discussion from previous episodes about Marvel's Black Widow, John Cena and wrestling, and whether Antz or A Bugs Life is more accurate.  Send us questions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

Amanda and Kelly discuss the order Odonata which includes dragonflies and damselflies with a fantasy twist. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for these characters: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-dashing-duo See the heroes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

The first villain for the show is an invasive wood beetle that threatens to decimate forests. Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-viridian-villain See the heroes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This episode Amanda and Kelly discuss WOOLLY BEAR CATERPILLARS (Pyrrharctia isabella) and their adult moth form.  Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-hungry-hairy-heroes See the heroes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfdQlDjLmyb/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This episode Amanda and Kelly discuss LADYBUGS. What do they do? Why are they red? Are any of them blue? All of these questions and more are answered! Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-yellow-blooded-hero Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Artwork by Amanda Niday. Music by Rolemusic.

This is just the teaser! We hope you'll listen to us soon!   Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes