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Arthro-Pod — Natural Sciences
Arthro-Pod

The home for Arthro-Pod,the podcast that teaches you about the weird and wonderful world of insects!

Copyright: © Copyrighted under the Creative Commons Liscense

Latest Episodes:

Arthro-Pod EP 168 The Great Insect Fair at Penn State Sep 30, 2024

Join Michael Skvarla of Penn State Entomology for a tour around the annual Great Insect Fair.

Questions? Comments?

Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow

Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 167: What's New with Spotted Lanternfly with Dr. Julie Urban Sep 16, 2024
Spotted lanternfly is one of the most dashing and prominent invasive species in the United States. This colorful planthopper is known for feeding on tree of heaven (another invasive species...) and grapes amongst quite a few others. Though they are likely best known for being being big and colorful and for going to bathroom all over everything. Join the Arthro-Pod gang as they sit down with Dr. Julie Urban of Penn State to talk all about what has happened with SLF since she last joined us in 2021!

Show Notes
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-frequently-asked-questions
https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-reported-distribution-map
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-guide

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 167: What's New with Spotted Lanternfly with Dr. Julie Urban Sep 16, 2024
Spotted lanternfly is one of the most dashing and prominent invasive species in the United States. This colorful planthopper is known for feeding on tree of heaven (another invasive species...) and grapes amongst quite a few others. Though they are likely best known for being being big and colorful and for going to bathroom all over everything. Join the Arthro-Pod gang as they sit down with Dr. Julie Urban of Penn State to talk all about what has happened with SLF since she last joined us in 2021!

Show Notes
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-frequently-asked-questions
https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-reported-distribution-map
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-guide

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 166: Scratching the Oak Itch Mite itch Aug 28, 2024
Hello bug lovers and welcome to another episode of Arthro-Pod! Today, we're going to the world of mites, specifically, we will talking all about the pyemotes itch mite. This teeny tiny biting pest has been making a splash in the news recently, with lots of people in Chicago and other Illinois city's complaining about their painful nibbles. We'll talk all about the seemingly mysterious origins of the oak leaf itch mite, how entomologists in the US were first introduced to it, and why it's making headlines in 2024. Tune in, we don't bit even if the mites do!
Itch mites in action, photo by Steve Jacobs, Penn State.

Show Notes
Mike talked about elm zig zag sawfly in our Catching up part of the podcast. If you want to learn more about the pest there is an upcoming webinar presented by Penn State University.

FREE Webinar on Sept 9: Frontiers in Forest Health: Elm Zigzag Sawfly

Link to Register: https://extension.psu.edu/frontiers-in-forest-health-elm-zigzag-sawfly

If you want to read more about the non-native forest pest and see some good images, check out the article by Dr. David Coyle from Entomology Today in 2023

https://entomologytoday.org/2023/07/20/here-we-go-again-meet-the-elm-zigzag-sawfly-another-non-native-forest-pest/
Oak itch mites in the news
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/national-news/mystery-bug-bites-in-chicago-area-may-be-connected-to-cicadas/

Oak Itch Mites References
Cloyd, R. A. 2019. Oak leaf itch mite. K-State Research and Extension. MF2806. https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/oak-leaf-itch-mite_MF2806
Broce, A. B., Zurek, L., Kalisch, J. A., Brown, R., Keith, D. L., Gordon, D., Goedeke, J. Welbourn, C., Moser, J., Ochoa, R., Azziz-Baumgartner, E., Yip, F., and Weber, J. 2006. Pyemotes herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae), a mite new to North America as the cause of bite outbreaks. 43(3): 610-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16739423/
Glosner, S. E., and Kang, E. 2008. Pyemotes, the mysterious itch mite. U.S. Pharmacist. 33(5): 59-64. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/pyemotes-the-mysterious-itch-mite
Grob, M., Dorn, K., and Lautenschlager, S. 1998. Getreidekrätze Eine kleine Epidemie durch Pyemotes spezies Eine kleine Epidemie durch Pyemotes spezies. Hautarzt. 49(11):838-43. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s001050050835
Jacobs, S. 2015. Oak leaf itch mite. PennState Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/oak-leaf-itch-mite
Keith, D. L., Kalish, J. A., and Broce, A. R. 2005. Pyemotes itch Mites. UNL Extension NF05-653. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/1737/
Krantz, G. W. and Walter, D. E. (editors). 2009. A Manual of Acarology (3rd ed.) Texas Tech University Press. Pp. 78, 79, 314, 315.
Kritsky, G. 2021. One for the books: The 2021 emergence of the periodical cicada Brood X. American Entomologist, 67(4):40-46. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmab059
Talley, J. 2015. Finally found: Oak leaf itch mite. Oklahoma State University Extension Pest e-alerts. https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/332675/oksa_pestealerts_v14n44.pdf?sequence=1
Zaborski, E. R. 2007. Outbreak of human pruritic dermatitis in Chicago, Illinois caused by an itch mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans, 1946) (Acarina: Heterostigmata: Pyemotidae). https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/18258
The life and times of an itch mite, credit to Broce et al. 2006

Arthro-Pod EP 166: Scratching the Oak Itch Mite itch Aug 28, 2024
Hello bug lovers and welcome to another episode of Arthro-Pod! Today, we're going to the world of mites, specifically, we will talking all about the pyemotes itch mite. This teeny tiny biting pest has been making a splash in the news recently, with lots of people in Chicago and other Illinois city's complaining about their painful nibbles. We'll talk all about the seemingly mysterious origins of the oak leaf itch mite, how entomologists in the US were first introduced to it, and why it's making headlines in 2024. Tune in, we don't bit even if the mites do!
Itch mites in action, photo by Steve Jacobs, Penn State.

Show Notes
Mike talked about elm zig zag sawfly in our Catching up part of the podcast. If you want to learn more about the pest there is an upcoming webinar presented by Penn State University.

FREE Webinar on Sept 9: Frontiers in Forest Health: Elm Zigzag Sawfly

Link to Register: https://extension.psu.edu/frontiers-in-forest-health-elm-zigzag-sawfly

If you want to read more about the non-native forest pest and see some good images, check out the article by Dr. David Coyle from Entomology Today in 2023

https://entomologytoday.org/2023/07/20/here-we-go-again-meet-the-elm-zigzag-sawfly-another-non-native-forest-pest/
Oak itch mites in the news
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/national-news/mystery-bug-bites-in-chicago-area-may-be-connected-to-cicadas/

Oak Itch Mites References
Cloyd, R. A. 2019. Oak leaf itch mite. K-State Research and Extension. MF2806. https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/oak-leaf-itch-mite_MF2806
Broce, A. B., Zurek, L., Kalisch, J. A., Brown, R., Keith, D. L., Gordon, D., Goedeke, J. Welbourn, C., Moser, J., Ochoa, R., Azziz-Baumgartner, E., Yip, F., and Weber, J. 2006. Pyemotes herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae), a mite new to North America as the cause of bite outbreaks. 43(3): 610-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16739423/
Glosner, S. E., and Kang, E. 2008. Pyemotes, the mysterious itch mite. U.S. Pharmacist. 33(5): 59-64. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/pyemotes-the-mysterious-itch-mite
Grob, M., Dorn, K., and Lautenschlager, S. 1998. Getreidekrätze Eine kleine Epidemie durch Pyemotes spezies Eine kleine Epidemie durch Pyemotes spezies. Hautarzt. 49(11):838-43. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s001050050835
Jacobs, S. 2015. Oak leaf itch mite. PennState Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/oak-leaf-itch-mite
Keith, D. L., Kalish, J. A., and Broce, A. R. 2005. Pyemotes itch Mites. UNL Extension NF05-653. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/1737/
Krantz, G. W. and Walter, D. E. (editors). 2009. A Manual of Acarology (3rd ed.) Texas Tech University Press. Pp. 78, 79, 314, 315.
Kritsky, G. 2021. One for the books: The 2021 emergence of the periodical cicada Brood X. American Entomologist, 67(4):40-46. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmab059
Talley, J. 2015. Finally found: Oak leaf itch mite. Oklahoma State University Extension Pest e-alerts. https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/332675/oksa_pestealerts_v14n44.pdf?sequence=1
Zaborski, E. R. 2007. Outbreak of human pruritic dermatitis in Chicago, Illinois caused by an itch mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans, 1946) (Acarina: Heterostigmata: Pyemotidae). https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/18258
The life and times of an itch mite, credit to Broce et al. 2006

Arthro-Pod EP 165 Pheromones and Fireflies with Dr. Sarah Lower Aug 19, 2024
On today's episode, Michael is flying solo when he interviews Dr. Sarah Lower of Bucknell University. Dr. Lower is an expert on the evolution of signaling in the fireflies, one of the more popular group of insects we have here on Earth. Usually when people think of this flashy group, they visualize their ability to light up. Tune in to hear Dr. Lower talk about how not all fireflies are illuminated and her work with a pheromone for Lampyridae.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Lower's work, check out her lab website.

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 164: Mothman versus Arthro-Pod Jul 31, 2024
Greetings from the void, bug lovers! Today's episode is a bit different in flavor... Michael and Jonathan met up this month for a dual family vacation and they are in search of the mythical Mothman! Join them as the delve into the world of cryptozoology and ask the question, why aren't there more insect cryptids? Check out the show notes to hear from John Acorn, entomology luminary, on this exact topic. Then, listen as they recount the tale of Mothman, who or what was he? Why were people in Point Pleasant, WV seeing him and what does he mean to a couple of entomologists with podcast gear? All this and more in this paranormal Arthro-Pod!
*One word of warning! At the end of our discussion on Mothman, there is a strange issue with the audio that warps our voices. This was not intentional on our part. Perhaps we had disgruntled him and he took it out on our podcast gear!*
The first indication we were in Mothman territory.
Walking to the Mothman Museum, we encountered a Man in Black.
"Welcome to the museum"
View inside the main room of the Mothman Museum.

The museum has an impressive number of newspaper clippings about the Mothman sightings. I'm honestly surprised about how much coverage it got at the time.
Paraphernalia from the Mothman Prophesies movie.
Your intrepid hosts.
Sticker graffiti we saw outside of the Mothman Museum. Goatman is a fair distance away from his home range in Prince George County, Maryland.
This mayfly we saw on a window outside of the Mothman Museum was the only insect involved in this episode.
Show notes
John Acorn on entomology and cryptozoology
The fandom wiki focused on "cryptids"
Darwin's hawkmoth

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 164: Mothman versus Arthro-Pod Jul 31, 2024
Greetings from the void, bug lovers! Today's episode is a bit different in flavor... Michael and Jonathan met up this month for a dual family vacation and they are in search of the mythical Mothman! Join them as the delve into the world of cryptozoology and ask the question, why aren't there more insect cryptids? Check out the show notes to hear from John Acorn, entomology luminary, on this exact topic. Then, listen as they recount the tale of Mothman, who or what was he? Why were people in Point Pleasant, WV seeing him and what does he mean to a couple of entomologists with podcast gear? All this and more in this paranormal Arthro-Pod!
*One word of warning! At the end of our discussion on Mothman, there is a strange issue with the audio that warps our voices. This was not intentional on our part. Perhaps we had disgruntled him and he took it out on our podcast gear!*
The first indication we were in Mothman territory.
Walking to the Mothman Museum, we encountered a Man in Black.
"Welcome to the museum"
View inside the main room of the Mothman Museum.

The museum has an impressive number of newspaper clippings about the Mothman sightings. I'm honestly surprised about how much coverage it got at the time.
Paraphernalia from the Mothman Prophesies movie.
Your intrepid hosts.
Sticker graffiti we saw outside of the Mothman Museum. Goatman is a fair distance away from his home range in Prince George County, Maryland.
This mayfly we saw on a window outside of the Mothman Museum was the only insect involved in this episode.
Show notes
John Acorn on entomology and cryptozoology
The fandom wiki focused on "cryptids"
Darwin's hawkmoth

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 163: A Dip into Strepsiptera Jul 20, 2024
Today's episode is a twisted one! After meeting one of our listeners a while back, there was a request for a deep dive into the world of strepsiptera, aka the twisted wing parasites. This order of insects may not be a big one, but they do hold a lot of surprises. Mike leads Jody and Jonathan through a tour of their biology, taxonomy, and why they are so useful for students who are in an insect collection course. Tune in!

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 162: The Insect Head Jun 28, 2024
Hello bug lovers! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, the gang will be taking you on a journey through the first section of an insect's body, the head. This magnificent center for information gathering and processing has many wonderful adaptations of internal and external anatomy that it's truly a marvel to dissect and consider. Tune in to hear all about how the insect head came to be, what important processes occur in the head, and how fun it is to have your esophagus run through the middle of your brain!

Show notes

Joro spider: https://jorowatch.org/
Link to 1975 Head Problem Paper
Antennae
Compound eyes
How bees see flowers: https://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/2007/10/simulated-bee-vision-ii.html
Treehopper heads: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/treehoppers-bizarre-wondrous-helmets-use-wing-genes-grow-180973713/

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 162: The Insect Head Jun 28, 2024
Hello bug lovers! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, the gang will be taking you on a journey through the first section of an insect's body, the head. This magnificent center for information gathering and processing has many wonderful adaptations of internal and external anatomy that it's truly a marvel to dissect and consider. Tune in to hear all about how the insect head came to be, what important processes occur in the head, and how fun it is to have your esophagus run through the middle of your brain!

Show notes

Joro spider: https://jorowatch.org/
Link to 1975 Head Problem Paper
Antennae
Compound eyes
How bees see flowers: https://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/2007/10/simulated-bee-vision-ii.html
Treehopper heads: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/treehoppers-bizarre-wondrous-helmets-use-wing-genes-grow-180973713/

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 161: Insect Decline with Dr. Eliza Grames Jun 14, 2024
Hello bug lovers and welcome back to Arthro-Pod! On today's show, the gang sits down with Dr. Eliza Grames of Binghamton University to talk about insects in decline. Terms like "insect apocalypse" are used in the media often and people have been asking Extension professionals about the gradual disappearance of things like fireflies and monarchs, Eliza helps to unpack what we know is happening with bug populations across the world. Plus, learn how scientists dissect huge stacks of data to better understand these declines and what fewer bugs might mean for things like birds. Tune in for all of it!

Show notes

https://elizagrames.github.io/
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2023989118

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod 160: Malaria History and Eradication May 31, 2024
Hello bug lovers and mosquito haters! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, Michael and Jonathan delve into the long history between malaria and humanity. You won't believe the most famous folks taken down by this disease/pathogen! Plus we track the trail of malaria to the Americas and conclude the show with a discussion on the saga of malaria eradication in the United State's southern region. Tune in won't you??

Show notes-
Humphreys, Margaret. Malaria Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Print.
How four once common diseases were eliminated from the American South by Margaret Humphreys
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301065?journalCode=ajph

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod 160: Malaria History and Eradication May 31, 2024
Hello bug lovers and mosquito haters! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, Michael and Jonathan delve into the long history between malaria and humanity. You won't believe the most famous folks taken down by this disease/pathogen! Plus we track the trail of malaria to the Americas and conclude the show with a discussion on the saga of malaria eradication in the United State's southern region. Tune in won't you??

Show notes-
Humphreys, Margaret. Malaria Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Print.
How four once common diseases were eliminated from the American South by Margaret Humphreys
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301065?journalCode=ajph

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 159: The Basics of Malaria May 17, 2024

Welcome back to Arthro-Pod! On today's episode, we begin a deep dive into the long history of malaria and its interactions with humanity. World Malaria Day was last month on April 25th, which is a global day of recognition for the many efforts under way to try and eliminate one of our species' oldest foes. In this episode, you can join you can join Jonathan and Jody in listening to Michael elucidate the biology of malaria and the types that afflict humans.

Show notes-
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/malaria/symptoms-causes/syc-20351184#overview

https://www.paho.org/en/topics/malaria

Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 158: The Bugs of Fallout Apr 30, 2024
Hello vault dwellers and bug lovers! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, the gang dips their toes into the cultural zeitgeist to talk about the video game/television show "Fallout" and more specifically about the horrible mutated arthropods that exist in that universe. Tune in to hear about the biology of giant "radroaches", feel the sting of the "stingwing", and maybe befriend your own mothman. It's a lot of fun to look at the entomological basis and designs of these critters and hash out which of them are the best from our buggy perspective.
Show notes-
These notes will be most helpful since we are talking about some visual material in this episode! Look below for some pics of each monster we discuss.
RadroachesRadroach from Fallout 4. Via Fallout Wiki.
Radroaches as seen in Fallout: New Vegas. Via Fallout Wiki.
Radroaches as seen in the Fallout television series (Season 1, episode 5: The Past). Via the Fallout Wiki.
BloatflyBloatfly as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloatfly as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloatfly as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Ants
Giant ant as seen in Fallout 2. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Giant ant workers as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant ant queen as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant fire ants in action, as seen in the Fallout 3 quest "Those!". Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant ants as seen in Fallout 76. Notice how the design has changed between games. Via the Fallout Wiki.
RadscorpionRadscorption as seen in Fallout (1). Via the Fallout Wiki.
Radscorpion and albino radscorpion as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Radscorpions as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Various radscorpions as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloodbug

Examples of bloodbugs as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloodbug as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwing Stingwings as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Details of a stingwing tail. Note how it is a stinger instead of clasping organs as in normal scorpionflies. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwing nests, with a yellow honey-like substance. This is not based on real scorpionflies whatsoever. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwings in Fallout 76. The design seems to have suffered quite a bit. Via the Fallout Wiki.
MirelurkA mirelurk, as seen in Fallout 3. This design is kind of a bipedal crab thing. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk king, as seen in Fallout 3. This design is more fishman than bipedal crab. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk as seen in Fallout 4. This design is more crab centaur. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk hunter as seen in Fallout 4. Obviously based on a mantis shrimp, this is somehow the same species as the more crab-like mirelurks. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk king as seen in Fallout 4. Another fishman design for the king. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant hermit crab A giant hermit crab, as seen in Fallout 4: Far Harbor. One of the most realistic designs we've encountered. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Honeybeast
A honey beast, as seen in Fallout 76. This is a pretty disappointing design considering the other arthropod-based creatures across the series. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Cave cricketA cave cricket, as seen in in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
MothmanClassic mothman in Fallout 76. Spot on design. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, as envisioned in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Various mothman designs. The wing patterns appear to be inspired by real moth species. Via the Fallout Wiki.
"I am the night". Via the Fallout Wiki.
Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36 and Bluesky @NapoleonicEnto

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
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Arthro-Pod EP 158: The Bugs of Fallout Apr 30, 2024
Hello vault dwellers and bug lovers! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod, the gang dips their toes into the cultural zeitgeist to talk about the video game/television show "Fallout" and more specifically about the horrible mutated arthropods that exist in that universe. Tune in to hear about the biology of giant "radroaches", feel the sting of the "stingwing", and maybe befriend your own mothman. It's a lot of fun to look at the entomological basis and designs of these critters and hash out which of them are the best from our buggy perspective.
Show notes-
These notes will be most helpful since we are talking about some visual material in this episode! Look below for some pics of each monster we discuss.
RadroachesRadroach from Fallout 4. Via Fallout Wiki.
Radroaches as seen in Fallout: New Vegas. Via Fallout Wiki.
Radroaches as seen in the Fallout television series (Season 1, episode 5: The Past). Via the Fallout Wiki.
BloatflyBloatfly as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloatfly as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloatfly as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Ants
Giant ant as seen in Fallout 2. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Giant ant workers as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant ant queen as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant fire ants in action, as seen in the Fallout 3 quest "Those!". Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant ants as seen in Fallout 76. Notice how the design has changed between games. Via the Fallout Wiki.
RadscorpionRadscorption as seen in Fallout (1). Via the Fallout Wiki.
Radscorpion and albino radscorpion as seen in Fallout 3. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Radscorpions as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Various radscorpions as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloodbug

Examples of bloodbugs as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Bloodbug as seen in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwing Stingwings as seen in Fallout 4. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Details of a stingwing tail. Note how it is a stinger instead of clasping organs as in normal scorpionflies. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwing nests, with a yellow honey-like substance. This is not based on real scorpionflies whatsoever. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Stingwings in Fallout 76. The design seems to have suffered quite a bit. Via the Fallout Wiki.
MirelurkA mirelurk, as seen in Fallout 3. This design is kind of a bipedal crab thing. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk king, as seen in Fallout 3. This design is more fishman than bipedal crab. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk as seen in Fallout 4. This design is more crab centaur. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk hunter as seen in Fallout 4. Obviously based on a mantis shrimp, this is somehow the same species as the more crab-like mirelurks. Via the Fallout Wiki.
A mirelurk king as seen in Fallout 4. Another fishman design for the king. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Giant hermit crab A giant hermit crab, as seen in Fallout 4: Far Harbor. One of the most realistic designs we've encountered. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Honeybeast
A honey beast, as seen in Fallout 76. This is a pretty disappointing design considering the other arthropod-based creatures across the series. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Cave cricketA cave cricket, as seen in in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.
MothmanClassic mothman in Fallout 76. Spot on design. Via the Fallout Wiki.
Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, as envisioned in Fallout 76. Via the Fallout Wiki.

Various mothman designs. The wing patterns appear to be inspired by real moth species. Via the Fallout Wiki.
"I am the night". Via the Fallout Wiki.
Questions? Comments?
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Arthro-Pod EP 157: The Cicadas of North America with Alie Kratzer Apr 21, 2024
Welcome bug lovers to our latest episode! Asa vast swath of the eastern US prepares for the "double brood" emergence of the various Magiccicada species, we here at Arthro-Pod got to meet up with engineer, entomologist, and author Alie Kratzer to talk about her new book, "The Cicadas of North America". See below for pre-ordering information.
We talk all about how cool these bugs are, the inspiration for the book, and just how exactly Alie was able to draw all those wonderful cicada illustrations. Tune in to learn more!
Alie Kratzer

Show notes
Check out Alie's company Owlfly
Track down her other book "The Social Wasps of North America"

And finally, make sure you preorder the cicada book!!
Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 157: The Cicadas of North America with Alie Kratzer Apr 21, 2024
Welcome bug lovers to our latest episode! Asa vast swath of the eastern US prepares for the "double brood" emergence of the various Magiccicada species, we here at Arthro-Pod got to meet up with engineer, entomologist, and author Alie Kratzer to talk about her new book, "The Cicadas of North America". See below for pre-ordering information.
We talk all about how cool these bugs are, the inspiration for the book, and just how exactly Alie was able to draw all those wonderful cicada illustrations. Tune in to learn more!
Alie Kratzer

Show notes
Check out Alie's company Owlfly
Track down her other book "The Social Wasps of North America"

And finally, make sure you preorder the cicada book!!
Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
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Arthro-Pod EP 156: Nuptial Gifts, the Packages of Love Apr 01, 2024
Hello lovers of bugs, as well as bugs who are in love! In today's episode, we take a journey through the world of nuptial gifts within the arthropods and find out why sometimes it is best to wrap a gift before trying to go on a date. Tune in to learn the basics of why nuptial gifts exist and how they can help facilitate the mating process and generation of the next generation. This one is a bit "spicy" so if you listen with kids, prepare for some biological talk!
Crickets preparing to mate after the exchange of a nuptial gifts (Photo by Biz Turnell, via https://entomologytoday.org/2020/02/14/nuptial-gifts-romantic-gestures-bug-insect-arthropod-world-valentines-day/)
Show notes
Insect (Order, Family)
Nuptial Gift
Purpose
Dung beetles (O: Coleoptera, F: Scarabaeidae)
Food in the form of a dung ball
https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/21/2/424/323090
Part of courtship display, dung ball is used for food source to help her and the offspring
Fireflies (O: Coleoptera, F: Lampyridae) some species
Spermatophore contains sperm and nutrients
https://now.tufts.edu/2016/12/22/firefly-gift-giving-composition-nuptial-gifts-revealed
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P8vKghAoh8
To obtain nutrients and fertilization occurs this way
Giant water bug (O: Hemiptera, M: Belostomatidae)
Small aquatic animals as prey (fish)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eth.12416
Part of the courtship ritual, males carry the eggs
Aphids (O: Hemiptera, F: Aphididae)
“mating drop” droplet of nutrient-rich fluid
To obtain nutrients essential for reproduction
Crickets (O: Orthopera, F:
Laupala cerasina
Several nuptial gifts before transferring genetic material
https://www.mpg.de/9686444/nuptial-feeding-female-crickets
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-019-2705-9
Nuptial gifts improve the amount of genetic material successfully transferred from the final spermatophore to the female
Long-tailed dance flies (O: Diptera, F:
Rhamphomyia longicauda
Nutrients
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23734479
Females do not hunt so they relay on the nuptial gifts. They fill their abdomens with air to look like their eggs are more mature so males will seek them out
Imported cabbagworm butterflies (O: Lepidoptera, F:
Nitrogen
https://www.thegraphicleader.com/opinion/columnists/the-changing-rules-of-romance-for-the-cabbage-white-butterfly
Scorpion flies (O: Mecoptera, F: Panorpidae)
Dead prey item
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4536380
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22830480-100-heres-my-nuptial-gift-a-dead-planthopper-now-can-we-mate/
To appease the female and increase chances of successful mating

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Arthro-Pod EP 155: Double Wormy- Jumping worms and Hammerhead Worms Mar 19, 2024
Welcome back bug lovers! Today we venture into the world of worms, both segmented and unsegmented, to talk about jumping worms and hammerhead worms. While neither of them are arthropods, entomologists have been fielding inquiries on both over the last few years. We try to dispel some of the myths surrounding these wiggly wonders and discuss the possible negative effects they could have in the environment. So grab a bag of gummy worms and tune in!
Jumping worms are unique in color and texture

Hammerhead worms are captivating and odd
Show notes

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 155: Double Wormy- Jumping worms and Hammerhead Worms Mar 19, 2024
Welcome back bug lovers! Today we venture into the world of worms, both segmented and unsegmented, to talk about jumping worms and hammerhead worms. While neither of them are arthropods, entomologists have been fielding inquiries on both over the last few years. We try to dispel some of the myths surrounding these wiggly wonders and discuss the possible negative effects they could have in the environment. So grab a bag of gummy worms and tune in!
Jumping worms are unique in color and texture

Hammerhead worms are captivating and odd
Show notes

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 154: Talking Scale Insects with Scott Schneider Feb 29, 2024
Howdy bug lovers! Scale insects are simultaneously fascinating and sort of uninteresting. They are notoriously immobile for much of their life, making them the insect of equivalent of couch potatoes. But, with that comes intriguing questions about how they live, thrive, and survive. Today, Mike is flying solo to interview Scott Schneider all about this particular group of true bugs! Tune in!

Scott Schneider, scale expert extraordinaire and our interviewee for this episode.
Scott hard at work in the field.
Hard scales on the underside of a leaf. Note the hard covering ("test") that covers the insects and the diversity of sizes and life stages.
Pine needle scales (Chionaspis pinifoliae) are another kind of hard scale and show some of the diversity in test shape and color between hard scale species.

Soft scale on a Rubus. Note how the waxy covering appears softer than that of hard scales.
Lac scales, from which products like shellac are produced.

Xenococcid scale insect that is associated with Acropyga ants.
Acropyga queen holding a xenococcid scale in her mandibles before her nuptial flight. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Acropyga worker moving a xenococcid scale. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
All photographs by Scott Schneider and used with permission unless otherwise noted.
Show notes
Sodano et al. 2024. Scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) morphology is transformed under trophobiosis. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 117(1): 49–63, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad033
Schneider et al. 2018. Molecular phylogenetics of Aspidiotini armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) reveals rampant paraphyly, curious species radiations, and multiple origins of association with Melissotarsus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129: 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.09.003

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 154: Talking Scale Insects with Scott Schneider Feb 29, 2024
Howdy bug lovers! Scale insects are simultaneously fascinating and sort of uninteresting. They are notoriously immobile for much of their life, making them the insect of equivalent of couch potatoes. But, with that comes intriguing questions about how they live, thrive, and survive. Today, Mike is flying solo to interview Scott Schneider all about this particular group of true bugs! Tune in!

Scott Schneider, scale expert extraordinaire and our interviewee for this episode.
Scott hard at work in the field.
Hard scales on the underside of a leaf. Note the hard covering ("test") that covers the insects and the diversity of sizes and life stages.
Pine needle scales (Chionaspis pinifoliae) are another kind of hard scale and show some of the diversity in test shape and color between hard scale species.

Soft scale on a Rubus. Note how the waxy covering appears softer than that of hard scales.
Lac scales, from which products like shellac are produced.

Xenococcid scale insect that is associated with Acropyga ants.
Acropyga queen holding a xenococcid scale in her mandibles before her nuptial flight. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Acropyga worker moving a xenococcid scale. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
All photographs by Scott Schneider and used with permission unless otherwise noted.
Show notes
Sodano et al. 2024. Scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) morphology is transformed under trophobiosis. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 117(1): 49–63, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad033
Schneider et al. 2018. Molecular phylogenetics of Aspidiotini armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) reveals rampant paraphyly, curious species radiations, and multiple origins of association with Melissotarsus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129: 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.09.003

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 153 Turkestan Cockroaches with Dr. Andrew Sutherland Feb 15, 2024
Hello bug lovers and welcome to a roach filled Valentine's edition of Artho-Pod! Jody and Jonathan meet up with Dr. Andrew Sutherland of University of California Extension. Andrew is an urban entomologist and an area IPM advisor for UC who serves the San Francisco area. As for today's topic, the Turkestan cockroach is an intriguing invasive species that is competing with other roaches, such as the oriental roach, for space. Due to a variety of factors, the Turkestan roach seems to be spreading and is also being noticed by people in the western US. All of that adds up to an interesting podcast episode filled with cockroach facts, thoughts on how the Turkestan roach is spreading, and possible management strategies.
Love is in the air

Our guest, Dr. Sutherland

Show Notes
Green Bulletinhttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/pdf/pubs/greenbulletin.2019.summer.pdf
Pest World Magazinehttps://www.pestworldmag-digital.com/npmas/0419_july_august_2019/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1498660#articleId1498660
Pest Noteshttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html

Scientific Papers:
Paper by Kim & Rusthttps://academic.oup.com/jee/article/106/6/2428/813184
Residual Insecticides: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/8/477
Biological control parasitoid wasphttps://academic.oup.com/jee/article/116/4/1128/7179677
Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 153 Turkestan Cockroaches with Dr. Andrew Sutherland Feb 15, 2024
Hello bug lovers and welcome to a roach filled Valentine's edition of Artho-Pod! Jody and Jonathan meet up with Dr. Andrew Sutherland of University of California Extension. Andrew is an urban entomologist and an area IPM advisor for UC who serves the San Francisco area. As for today's topic, the Turkestan cockroach is an intriguing invasive species that is competing with other roaches, such as the oriental roach, for space. Due to a variety of factors, the Turkestan roach seems to be spreading and is also being noticed by people in the western US. All of that adds up to an interesting podcast episode filled with cockroach facts, thoughts on how the Turkestan roach is spreading, and possible management strategies.
Love is in the air

Our guest, Dr. Sutherland

Show Notes
Green Bulletinhttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/pdf/pubs/greenbulletin.2019.summer.pdf
Pest World Magazinehttps://www.pestworldmag-digital.com/npmas/0419_july_august_2019/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1498660#articleId1498660
Pest Noteshttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7467.html

Scientific Papers:
Paper by Kim & Rusthttps://academic.oup.com/jee/article/106/6/2428/813184
Residual Insecticides: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/8/477
Biological control parasitoid wasphttps://academic.oup.com/jee/article/116/4/1128/7179677
Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 152: Artificial Intelligence, Entomology, and Extension Jan 31, 2024
Hello bug lovers and our new machine overlords and welcome to a new episode of Arthro-Pod. Today, Jody, Jon, and Mike, decide to swerve a bit out of their lane and discuss their thoughts about artificial intelligence, specifically the intersection of AI and entomology/Extension. There is a lot of clamor over what AI means for the future and what it means ethically. Extension is one area of the academy that seems like AI may have a profound impact on. The gang tries to slice through the hype and share their feelings as well as some reporting on artificial intelligence. Tune in to hear more and share your thoughts with the crew as well!

Show Notes
https://entomologytoday.org/2023/09/14/systematic-entomology-artificial-intelligence/

https://futurism.com/sports-illustrated-ai-generated-writers

https://extension.org/2019/04/23/using-artificial-intelligence-to-support-extension-services/

https://extension.org/tools/extbot/

https://agrilinks.org/post/revolutionizing-extension-models-artificial-intelligence-service-smallholder-farmers

https://www.ifpri.org/blog/can-we-trust-ai-generate-agricultural-extension-advisories

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 151: Delusory parasitosis and entomology Jan 17, 2024
Hello friends, and welcome back to Arthro-Pod! Today's episode is a look at a phenomenon many entomologists will encounter, even if they aren't ready to, known as delusory parasitosis. Also referred to as delusions of infestation and Ekbom's syndrome, this situation involves a person believing that their body and home are infested with some sort of biting or stinging pest, despite there being no evidence that is true. We're all predisposed to interpret certain signals as being caused by an insect or mite trying to crawl on us or bite us and unfortunately, sometimes this can further manifest as delusory parasitosis. Sufferers are often desperate for help and entomologists are often helpless to provide assistance. Today we wanted to outline some of the background of delusory parasitosis and talk about how entomologists can help, while also protecting themselves.

Show Notes
Hinkle, N.C. 2000. Delusory parasitosis. American Entomologist 46(1): 17–25
https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/46/1/17/2389588

Hinkle, N.C. 2010. Ekbom Syndrome: the challenge of “invisible bug” infestations. Annual Review of Entomology 55: 77–94. Doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.54.110807.090514

Hinkle, N.C. 2011. Ekbom Syndrome: a delusional condition of “bugs in the skin”. Current Psychiatry Reports 13: 178–186.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21344286/
Szepietowski, J.C., Salomon, J., Hrehorów, E., Pacan, P., Zalewska, A., and Sysa-Jȩdrzejowska, A. 2007. Delusional parasitosis in dermatological practice. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology 21(4): 462–465.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17373971/

Questions? Comments?
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Arthro-Pod EP 150 2023 Arthropod News Roundup Dec 31, 2023
Hello bug lovers! We hope you have had a wonderful 2023 and are looking forward to 2024. To wrap our season for the year, we wanted to do something fun and make a bit of a news round up focused on arthropods (and some adjacent critters) and see what people were saying about our creepy crawly friends. We'll go from worm rain all the way through malaria and how to kill wasps with gas! We hope you'll tune in and that you'll join us again next year.

Mormon crickets are just one newsworthy insect from 2023
Show notes
Worm rain
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N35P20W/
Yellow legged hornets
https://www.wtoc.com/2023/12/28/yellow-legged-hornet-arrives-2023/
Mormon crickets
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/crushed-crickets-are-blanketing-nevada-roads-with-slime-180982415/
Malaria in the US
https://time.com/6291002/locally-acquired-malaria-cases-usa/
Invasives on the move
https://news.yahoo.com/heres-expanded-box-tree-moth-164342473.html
https://news.yahoo.com/heres-expanded-box-tree-moth-164342473.html
Wasps and gasoline
https://www.countryliving.com/home-maintenance/cleaning/a44563522/tiktok-trend-gasoline-wasp-nest-extremely-unsafe/

Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod 149: The Arthropods of Holiday Folklore Dec 15, 2023
Welcome back bug lovers and ho ho ho, happy holidays! On today's show we're diving into Christmas trees! When these trees are being grown, there are some pests that might make their way onto the leaves and twigs, so we're talking about their biology and management. However, most of our calls that involve trees are in regard to insects that have been accidentally brought inside with live trees that are now walking all over the presents so we touch on that too. Finally, Jonathan fished up some folklore revolving around arthropods and Christmas. Tune in to hear all about it!
A non-traditional Christmas spider

Show Notes:

Christmas tree pests, indoor and out:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/christmas_trees/pest-management/
https://christmastrees.ces.ncsu.edu/christmastrees-pest-management-in-christmas-trees/
https://extension.psu.edu/insects-on-real-christmas-trees
https://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/does-your-christmas-tree-have-bugs/
Christmas wasp:
https://fdacsdpi.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/all-about-the-folklore-of-christmas-insects/
http://greydogtales.com/blog/folklore-origins-christmas-wasp/
Christmas spider:
https://agrilife.org/urban-ipm/2018/12/21/the-legend-of-the-christmas-spider/

Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod 149: The Arthropods of Holiday Folklore Dec 15, 2023
Welcome back bug lovers and ho ho ho, happy holidays! On today's show we're diving into Christmas trees! When these trees are being grown, there are some pests that might make their way onto the leaves and twigs, so we're talking about their biology and management. However, most of our calls that involve trees are in regard to insects that have been accidentally brought inside with live trees that are now walking all over the presents so we touch on that too. Finally, Jonathan fished up some folklore revolving around arthropods and Christmas. Tune in to hear all about it!
A non-traditional Christmas spider

Show Notes:

Christmas tree pests, indoor and out:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/christmas_trees/pest-management/
https://christmastrees.ces.ncsu.edu/christmastrees-pest-management-in-christmas-trees/
https://extension.psu.edu/insects-on-real-christmas-trees
https://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/does-your-christmas-tree-have-bugs/
Christmas wasp:
https://fdacsdpi.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/all-about-the-folklore-of-christmas-insects/
http://greydogtales.com/blog/folklore-origins-christmas-wasp/
Christmas spider:
https://agrilife.org/urban-ipm/2018/12/21/the-legend-of-the-christmas-spider/

Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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Arthro-Pod EP 148: Bed Bugs in Paris Nov 28, 2023
Hello bug lovers! Recently, there has been a lot of clamor about the discovery of bed bug issues in Paris, France. It's been interesting to watch a resurgence in questions and concerns with bed bugs pop up because of this and to hear people pondering what this means for events such as Paris Fashion Week and the 2024 Olympics. In this episode, Jody and Jonathan sit down to talk bed bug facts, discuss why this news has panicked so many people, and the every day adversity of dealing with bed bugs.
Bonjour bed bugs!

Show Notes:
Resources about Bed Bugs
https://lancaster.unl.edu/bedbugs
Recorded Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVUOa0xieb4
Jody was interviewed by Deutsche Welle Television about the bed bug problems in France: YouTube link: France: Bedbugs send shivers through Paris | DW News - YouTube

TikTok accounts that were discussed in the episode: @jimmytravelsworld@Alyssannaaa@eloisefouladgar @christian.grossi @brandonjnewman1 @madeleine_white
Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 147: Cockroach Super Powers with Bugs Need Heroes podcast Nov 15, 2023
Hello bug lovers! Today, we're proud to publish a podcast recorded, edited, and produced by our friends at the podcast Bugs Need Heroes!! We met with them on their show back a little while back and had a blast talking about cockroaches, super heroes, and -most importantly- Danny Devito. They were kind enough to provide the audio to the show so we could also post it to our podcast feed. You should absolutely check out their show, https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/home, where you can hear Kelly, Amanda, and Derek build buggy super heroes out of all out favorite multi-legged friends.

In lieu of our usual show notes, I thought I would use the notes prepared by Derek of Bugs Need Heroes!
https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-trash-man
Derek’s Field Notes
Common Name: Cockroaches!

Order: Blattodea; termites were formerly Isoptera.

Family: We primarily discussed cockroaches in the Blattidae family as this group includes the species you, the listener, are most likely to encounter.

Species of Note:

The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), a common pet
The Central American giant cave cockroach (Blaberus giganteus), large and in charge
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), an unwanted guest
The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) sometimes euphemistically called "the waterbug"
The Pennsylvania wood cockroach (Parcoblatta pensylvanica), an occasional visitor
Pacific dampwood termite (Zootermopsis angusticollis), the cockroach Amanda didn't know she knew

Life Cycle:

Cockroaches exhibit incomplete metamorphosis. Eggs are contained within an ootheca and nymphs undergo several molts before becoming (typically) winged adults.

Distribution:

Cockroaches are found on every continent, except Antarctica. There are about 30 species which are closely associated with humans, excluding termites.

Super Powers:

Can eat almost anything, but may exhibit strong flavor preferences!
Flight
Superspeed
Climbing
Cosmopolitan
Can squeeze into tight places and resistant to crushing
Resistant to radiation
Butt antennae
Links to check out:
The Always Sunny In Philadelphia scene that was referenced during the recording.
National Geographic: Amazing Video Reveals Why Roaches Are So Hard to Squish
An interesting breakdown of the infamous Liefeld Captain America drawing.
Sugar traps force cockroaches to adapt new sex 'gifts'
References:
Bennett, G. W., Owens, J. M., Corrigan, R. M., & Truman, L. C. (2018). Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations. North Coast Media, LLC.

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
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Arthro-Pod EP 146: Arthro-Pod Dissects "The Fly" Oct 19, 2023
Welcome to spooky season bug lovers! To celebrate, the Arthro-Pod crew sat down and watched the 1986 film, "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis and directed by the master of body horror, David Cronenberg. A word of warning, this one might not be suitable for all ages as we do talk about some graphic horror movie tropes and other sensitive topics.
Tune in though if you would like to hear a discussion on the entomological aspects of "The Fly" and why the idea of becoming an insect terrifies us so much. We also touch on scientific ethics and other themes incubating within the Brundlefly.
Look at those aristate antennae!

Show Notes

Jody was recently interviewed by Deutsche Welle Television about the bed bug problems in France: YouTube link: France: Bedbugs send shivers through Paris | DW News - YouTube

Check out a new entomology podcast “There will be bugs”

Read up on some film crit on "The Fly
https://collider.com/david-cronenberg-the-fly-body-horror/
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/aug/31/the-fly-96-minutes-of-grotesque-vomit-soaked-bedlam-and-david-cronenbergs-best-film
https://cinephiliabeyond.org/fly/

Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod 145: A Deep Dive into West Nile VIrus Sep 30, 2023
Hello bug lovers! Today, we're guided by Mike Skvarla into a deep dive on West Nile virus. A mosquito borne illness, West Nile is something the Arthro-Pod crew has learned a lot about over the course of their lives and careers. In fact, one of them even tested positive for it after trying to give blood... Mike was inspired by Episode 1031 of the This Week in Virology podcast, where they discussed a recent paper on the subject. The paper is “Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs underlie West Nile virus encephalitis in ∼40% of patients”, by Gervais et al. published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Tune in to learn about the history of WNV and the current research focused on it.
The virus of concern

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

Arthro-Pod EP 144: On the Fly with Insect Wings Sep 18, 2023
Howdy bug lovers! Last episode, we started our discussion of insect locomotion by getting up close and personal with insect legs. Today, we'll be a little more airborne as we discuss insect wings. Insects are the only invertebrates with the power of flight and there have long been questions about the origin of insect wings in the evolutionary record. Tune in to hear about the multiple theories on the origin of wings, how wings help with insect identification, and just how bugs take flight.

Show notes
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/244541v1
https://news.uchicago.edu/story/how-insect-wings-evolved-legs-ancestral-crustacean
https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/unearthing-the-evolutionary-origins-of-insect-wings-69845
https://ag.arizona.edu/classes/ento596c/topic/session4.html
https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/fact-files/wings.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_wing
https://cronodon.com/BioTech/Insect_locomotion.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_flight

Questions? Comments?
Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_Podshow
Follow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!
Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!

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