Can I Bug You?

The coffee berry borer is a tiny beetle that represents a big and growing threat to most adults’ beloved morning beverage. It appears to be infesting new islands in the major coffee-growing region of Hawaii. Dr. Bodil Cass, subtropical entomologyspecialist at UCR, joins us to discuss this creature and as well as available options for protecting our beans.

New World screwworm: a successful eradication program rid the U.S. of this devastating pest 60 years ago, but it's back. 19 cases detected in Texas as of 6/24/26. To explain what exactly the insect is, how it infects living mammal tissue, and what is being done about it, we're joined by UC Riverside veterinary entomologist Dr. Amy Murillo, who leads a monitoring and education program funde...

The postal service has finally delivered this audio postcard recorded on site at the 2026 Riverside Insect Fair! Ever wondered what there is to do or see at an all-day festival dedicated to bugs? Who might you meet and what might you eat? Listen in and learn!

For the UCR Department of Entomology's 111th anniversary, we are joined by four professors who tell us why this department is still thriving after more than a century, even as similar departments elsewhere have disappeared. More info about anniversary celebration activities open to the public: https://entomology.ucr.edu/entomologys-111th-celebration

As we struggle with piles of paperwork on Tax Day, we’re taking a little time to reflect that it was not humans that invented paperwork, but wasps. Jim Carpenter, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, fills us in on how wasps do it, and why.

News outlets in Los Angeles have been reporting on an epidemic of eye-biting flies in the San Gabriel Valley this year. And there is a human-feeding fly infestation, but reports incorrectly identified the species. Our guest from the SGV Vector Control District joins us to set the record straight on what's attacking us, and what can be done about it.

Even though there are estimated to be 40 million insect species, nearly every example of insects used in medicine is either misguided or just… wrong. Listen in and learn about some of the insect cures people pay top dollar for that just do not work and hear about what, if anything from the insect world, does.

Walking through an oak woodland, you might encounter trees with strange fruit. Some are small, fuzzy, or red "Hershey Kiss" shapes while others look like large, papery brown spheres. These aren't fruits. Dr. Matt Buffington of the U.S. Agricultural Research Service - formerly at UCR - joins us to explain these strange structures that act like hotels with room service for tiny wasps.

Forget roses and chocolates. Some insects bring pebbles wrapped in silk and hope for the best. This Valentine’s Day episode of Can I Bug You? dives into some of the most surprising courtship rituals in the insect world.

Defense contractors are developing "cutting-edge" technologies like "spy cockroaches" to reinvent warfare. But roachbots aren't a new idea. They had a moment in a 1997 blockbuster, The Fifth Element. If they didn't work out then, why would they work now? Listen in to find out if the current crop of roachbot hopefuls are likely to succeed.

In our first episode of 2026, we explore the important role that genetics play in conserving insect species about to blink out of existence. With special guests, UCR entomologists Hollis Woodard and Zachary Macdonald.

So many insect species are on the brink. What will it take to get them on the federally endangered species list for legal protections, alongside so many creatures with spines? UCR entomologists Zachary MacDonald and Hollis Woodard break down what's involved.

Spiders get all the credit for spinning webs, but they’re hardly the only arthropods weaving silk. In this episode, we untangle stories of web-making mites, moths, butterflies, and even glow-in-the-dark flies, revealing how silk making is a bigger story and sometimes, stranger than fiction.

Leafminers tunnel between the outer layers of leaves, leaving silvery trails and agricultural chaos in their wake. Guest entomologist Alejandra Rocha joins the show to talk ancient insect graffiti, modern crop threats, and the surprisingly artistic evidence of Earth’s oldest infestation.

As the western U.S. bakes under record heat, some insects are showing us how to thrive where most life wilts. From fire-chasing beetles to poison-munching caterpillars, meet the bugs built for extremes.

It's Halloween in August. In this episode we focus on the difference between parasites, parasitoids, and outright predators, and give plenty of possibly creepy examples of each. Cover image of bombardier beetle by Reiner Richter.

Parasites vs. parasitoids: Seems like just a suffix but actually, the difference is deadly. UCR entomologist John Heraty joins the show to discuss some of the stranger parasitoids he studies.

What do dragonfly nymphs, death’s-head moths, and Alien’s Xenomorph have in common? In this episode we explore the real-life insect mouthparts that are stranger, and sometimes scarier, than science fiction.

Do you know who - or what - might be swimming alongside you this summer? Listen in and find out!

Gardens specially designed for pollinators are more important than ever as insects face an apocalypse. UCR entomology professor Erin Wilson Rankin offers tips for starting a pollinator paradise of any size.

In entomology, your credentials matter less than your careful observations. Even Napoleon's aide-de-camp stopped in the middle of a battle to collect beetles for observation. Want to be a leading authority on an insect you love? Tune in, and roll up your sleeves.

Think discovering a new species is rare? Think again. UCR entomologist and show co-host Doug Yanega reveals why naming a new insect might be easier than spotting a squirrel — and how deserts, microhabitats, and UV lights make all the difference. Come for the science. Stay for the midnight bug trapping in the mountains.

What can a fly tell us about a crime scene? In this episode, UC Riverside entomologist Alec Gerry explains how insects can help investigators reconstruct what really happened when a person or an animal has died under suspicious circumstances. Learn how forensic entomology turns life cycles into timelines — and maggots into expert witnesses.

Not all villains wear capes—some have wings and a taste for cows. We talk to a fly expert who’s taking the bite out of barnyard pests.

Only two kinds of insects are known to invade living human bodies: the mites that cause scabies, and lice. Despite this, there are people convinced their skin is infested with all manner of small insects. And the impacts of their imagined infestations are very real. Discussing this condition on today's episode is University of Georgia entomology professor Nancy Hinkle.