Bugs Need Heroes

Kelly guests on Spooko Podcast to talk about the film Prince of Darkness and discuss bug wranglers, 'pre'-biotics, and why so many horror movies about satan assume bugs are bad guys. Follow Spooko on Insta: @_spooko_ Join the Feel Bad Club on our discord: https://discord.gg/mJAJYCChGy And if you're keen for more Peach and Shag, check out our OTHER pod (it's about Gordon Ramsay): @peachandshagsnigh...

Dr Kelly Z is out today and filling in for her is Ellen Weatherford of Just The Zoo of Us podcast to discuss lovebugs (Plecia nearctica). Many tangents in this episode including Florida mullets, Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos, "shadow daddies," and a history of Batman's sidekicks.   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneed...

Amanda and Kelly share their thoughts about the 1998 Disney/Pixar movie A Bug's Life. Movie discussion begins at 5:30   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...

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z talk discuss the order Siphonaptera. They talk about all the things fleas are famous for: jumping on cats, giving rats the plague, and singing about California. Tangents include Elvira, circuses, and orcas.   Bug discussion begins at 8:29   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/99-episodes-but-an-itch-aint-one   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNe...

This episode we are joined by Joey Santore of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't.   Joey's website: https://www.crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com/ Joey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crime_pays_but_botany_doesnt Joey's YouTube: https://www.instagram.com/crime_pays_but_botany_doesnt Joey's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt Joey's Book (pre-order link): https://www.crimepaysbutb...

Send in the clown beetles! Amanda thinks they are the most beetle you can be! Dr Kelly Z thinks they are cute! This episode is not for the coulrophobic! Tangents include Jason Bateman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and isopods!   Bug discussion begins around 9:30   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/clown-detective   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com...

The uncrushable beetle has arrived in all his bedazzlements. Tangents include America's Next Top Model, Frankenstein, and a lot of wrestling talk. And Amanda picked a name that was already a superhero, so I had to choose a different title.   Bug discussion begins around 9:00   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/larva-face   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroe...

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z talk about leaf cutter ants. This is an iconic ant. 'Nuff said!   Bug discussion begins around 6:00   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/attaantium   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: http...

This episode we are joined by Dr Kit Prendergast to talk about wild bees! How do we protect these important pollinators from the many threats and what exactly are those threats? And what the heck is a lek? We talk about naming an undescribed species after Tom Ellis, costuming, and the challenges of science outreach when discussing honeybees. Unfortunately this is an audio medium so you'll have to...

At Emerald City Comic Con. Back again soon!

There are only seven basic plots: Overcoming the monster, Rags to riches, Voyage/Return, Comedy, Tragedy, Rebirth, and the Quest. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is all seven. Eric Carle himself said its "a book of hope... a way about growing up, how scary it is, but how you can fly into the world with your talents." He is wrong. It is a book of conquest. Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the large blue b...

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss a popular family of insects and one in particular that is very popular in zoos and museums, the giant-australian-prickly-walking-stick-insect (Extatosoma tiaratum). Tangents include Indiana Jones, pirates, and the weather. Bug discussion begins around 9:00   Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/scicomm-spectre   Send us questions and suggestion...

This week Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the Lord Howe Stick Insect (Dryococelus australis). This species was presumed extinct until a small extant population was found and efforts from captive breeding programs in zoos brought them back. It's not quite Jurassic Park but we like it. Tangents include carnivorous deer, ecological niches, and hit musicals. Bug discussion begins around 12:00   Send us...

This episode we are joined by Dr Nina Jenkins of ConidioTec to talk bed bugs and how a fungal treatment called Apprehend she developed can be used to control them. We discuss how a biocontrol agent for aphids, whiteflies, and thrips went through the shark tank and regulatory agencies to your bedroom. Tangents include tarantula people, vampire entomology, and Jurassic Park (always!)    Bug discussi...

We take another dip into our spider-verse with a discussion of spitting spiders and spider sociality. Tangents include parenting and homework advice, hamster cannibalism, Superman, Fionna and Cake. It takes a friendly neighborhood to raise a spider (aka a crawl space).   Bug discussion begins around 7:10 Kevin's Spider Video: Spitting Spider (Scytodes longipes) exhibiting its "spitting" behavior....

This week Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the family Pentatomidae, also known as shield bugs but more commonly known as stink bugs. You may have fought them in the video game Grounded. Special attention is given to the Brown Mamorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) for being an agricultural pest and seasonal nuisance in winter. Tangents include children's names, eating bugs, and how Kelly was married...

This episode Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss mantidflies (Mantispidae), which are neither mantids nor flies. Tangents include movies, deviled eggs, and kicking robot dogs. And Kelly eats some ant sauce??? Thanks to Andrew for nominating this bug. Bug discussion begins around 10:05   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Kevin Weiner: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/spider-rider   Send us que...

This episode Amanda and Kelly discuss long-horn beetles. Tangents include forest creatures, mimicry, and television's Survivor.   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Kevin Weiner: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-good-the-bad-and-the-bugly   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/ Join us on Twitter: h...

This episode Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss house centipedes. They are so fast! And so cute?! We learn a lot about these common domestic bugs, which are definitely not insects. Tangents include isopods, cats, Survivor, and piles of leaves (leave them!) Bug discussion begins around 5:15   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Kevin Weiner: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/scooty   Send us que...

This episode was originally recorded in Spring 2025, but an issue during recording caused it to be delayed until now. Kelly and Amanda discuss the rove beetle Ocypus olens (and a similar species in New Zealand). Tangents include cats, Bobby's World, and DC Comic's Gentleman Ghost and other Victorian spookyisms.   Bug discussion begins around 10:40   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Derek Conr...

Amanda leads an episode about the history of silkworms and how they changed the world! Topic discussion begins around 7:10   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 Zimm...

This episode Amanda and Kelly discuss twisted-wing insects (Strepsiptera) with Dr Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy an assistant professor at the University of Rochester and a Levinson/Shapiro faculty schola . The name is deceptive because only the males have wings and they only have hours to use them to turn wasps into zombies! These rare insects have a strange and maybe even a little disturbing life history...

This episode Amanda and Kelly discuss mud daubers. These wasps use mud to build their nests and fill those nests with paralyzed spiders, which is a very sexy behavior. Tangents include dinosaurs, the morals of relative television, Earthworm Jim, and Amanda's crochet tips.   Bug discussion begins around 5:20   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Derek Conrad: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episod...

Sometimes it's hard to name these characters, but not this week. Amanda and Kelly talk aeroplankton, animal communication, and ask what is a pest really. Tangents include John Singer Sargent, KPop Demon Hunters, and lots of fashion talk this week as Amanda walks us through her character creation process. Bug discussion begins around 7:40   Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Kevin Weiner: https:...

This episode we are joined by Dr Scott Kight once again to talk about Belostomatidae. We initially planned to do this topic around Father's Day for reasons that will become apparent. Tangents include bears, science teachers, and that Coldplay concert.    Bug discussion begins around 4:20   Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b...