Bugs Need Heroes

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Bugs Need Heroes On each episode of Bugs Need Heroes, an ecologist and an illustrator work create a bug inspired hero!

Kelly and Amanda continue wet bug summer with a discussion of another true bug. These hemipterans have conquered the wat...
24/06/2025

Kelly and Amanda continue wet bug summer with a discussion of another true bug. These hemipterans have conquered the water surface of ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, and even the open ocean. Tangents include pokemon, New Jersey, doctor parties, mantis shrimps and some of our past characters. Also Amanda shares terrible story about almost eating a spider.

Bug discussion begins around 10:15

Kelly's field notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-salty-surfer

Water strider jumping video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsD8wahyRq8

This week's episode is about a fairly unremarkable aquatic beetle. Tangents include AI generated images, Chris Angel, Hu...
26/05/2025

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 beetle great escape here: https://youtu.be/_W0UJD_i3Mo

This time we are joined by Ben Knowlton and Zillah Smith of There Will Be Bugs Podcast to talk about one of their favori...
24/12/2024

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/

Beetle photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) American Burying Beetle 2_USFWS.jpeg, USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/american-burying-beetle-2usfwsjpeg

Kelly and Producer Derek are back from the ESA conference in Pheonix and Kelly shares some stories. Technically this isn...
14/12/2024

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.

This is an episode we banked during the summer. Kelly and Amanda discuss velvet ants, which are not actually ants at all...
27/11/2024

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.

Thank you as always to our pal Kevin Wiener of All Bugs Go to Kevin for the use of his incredible photography!

Producer Derek dressed up as a mantis for Halloween and alongside his bug-themed kitties! Zotz the butterfly and Rotunda...
05/11/2024

Producer Derek dressed up as a mantis for Halloween and alongside his bug-themed kitties! Zotz the butterfly and Rotunda as a bee who is totally over it.

This time we are joined by our friend Dr Mike Glynn to talk about cats for our Halloween episode. Lots of stories of our...
28/10/2024

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!

We are back from hiatus and you can really tell with this episode. Kelly and Amanda get all the wiggles out with this ve...
14/10/2024

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.

Images found on iNaturalist of Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus, photo by Carey Knox, CC0 1.0 Universal.

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...
13/08/2024

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.

Check Kevin Wiener out in All Bugs Go to Kevin!!

Amanda recently found a patch of tansy ragwort that had been ravaged by cinnabar moth caterpillars. Its been almost comp...
13/08/2024

Amanda recently found a patch of tansy ragwort that had been ravaged by cinnabar moth caterpillars. Its been almost completely defoliated. Impressive. Hard to believe it's been a year since we covered these little creatures!

Episode page: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/team-jacobaea

Kelly's parents had a to***co hornworm on their tomato plant! This chonker ate all the leaves, no remorse. We discuss th...
26/07/2024

Kelly's parents had a to***co hornworm on their tomato plant! This chonker ate all the leaves, no remorse. We discuss these hefty heroes (or villains to Kelly's parents) in our latest episode The Model Organism. Make sure to check out Bugs Need Heroes everywhere you get your podcasts!

***cohornworm

It's NATIONAL MOTH WEEK! We are celebrating by discussing a really hefty bug. A real chonker. There are over 1400 specie...
23/07/2024

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/

A big thank you for the shoutout from National Moth Week!

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