Bugs Need Heroes

Latest Episodes:

The Sodanaut (BRINE FLIES) Jan 19, 2025

Show notes

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

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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.

Bug Hero: Christy Bills (MUSEUM COLLECTIONS) Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

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.

Crypt Keeper and the Embalmer (BURYING BEETLES with THERE WILL BE BUGS) Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

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.

Mousy the Hunter (GRASSHOPPER MOUSE) Dec 08, 2024

Show notes

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.

The Moo-derer (COW KILLER) Nov 24, 2024

Show notes

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.

Bug Heroes: Maria Sibylla Merian Nov 10, 2024

Show notes

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.

Cats Need Heroes Oct 27, 2024

Show notes

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.

My Neighbor Velvet Worm Oct 13, 2024

Show notes

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.

Summer Diapause Aug 18, 2024

Show notes

We'll be back in the fall!

Gregarious Kevin (BROWN RECLUSE) Aug 04, 2024

Show notes

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.