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PODCAST

Bugs Need Heroes

On each episode of Bugs Need Heroes, an ecologist and an illustrator team-up to create a new insect-inspired super hero. The finished characters are posted to our social media pages and at BugsNeedHeroes.com Email us questions about bugs at BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Edited by Derek Conrad. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. ”Ladybug Castle” by Rolemusic is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 International

science nature

All Episodes

55:46

The Heckgrammite (DOBSONFLIES)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2025/02/17

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:

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01:26:28

Mighty Emily (PHORETIC MITES with Dr Emily Durkin)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2025/02/03

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

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01:07:41

The Sodanaut (BRINE FLIES)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2025/01/19

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:

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01:18:51

Bug Hero: Christy Bills (MUSEUM COLLECTIONS)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2025/01/08

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

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01:13:41

Crypt Keeper and the Embalmer (BURYING BEETLES with...

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/12/24

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:

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58:53

Mousy the Hunter (GRASSHOPPER MOUSE)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/12/09

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

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01:07:25

The Moo-derer (COW KILLER)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/11/25

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:

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01:24:32

Bug Heroes: Maria Sibylla Merian

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/11/11

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

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01:17:05

Cats Need Heroes

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/10/28

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:

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01:12:26

My Neighbor Velvet Worm

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/10/14

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

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00:36

Summer Diapause

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/08/19

We'll be back in the fall!

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01:30:38

Gregarious Kevin (BROWN RECLUSE)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/08/05

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:

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01:06:08

The Model Organism (HORNWORMS aka HAWKMOTHS)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/07/22

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

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01:19:48

Flonase Technicolor (FIREFLIES)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/07/08

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

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01:30:22

Painbow (MANTIS SHRIMP w/ Ellen Weatherford)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/06/24

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

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15:26

BONUS: Don't freak out about Joro Spiders

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/06/12

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.

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01:02:49

The Dash (TIGER BEETLES)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/06/10

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

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01:10:05

Marquis de Beetle (Blister Beetles)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/05/27

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:

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01:08:48

Pepper and the Pollution Solution (PEPPERED MOTHS)

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/05/12

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: Pepper and the Pollution Solution (bugsneedheroes.com) Send us questions and suggestions

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00:13

Delay

Bugs Need Heroes ·

2024/05/05

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93 results

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