PODCAST · science
Insects for Fun!
by insectsforfun
An informational podcast covering all things insect and arthropod, hosted by a master in entomology! Join me every Tuesday to learn something new from notable species to broad topics and lore! You can support the show and get extra episodes here: patreon.com/user?u=46499107Email: [email protected]
Episodes
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The heaviest stick insects in the world! (Jungle Nymphs)
This week, we have a listener submission for the stick insect species Heteropteryx dilatata. The species is widespread across zoos, insectariums, and exotic insect hobbyists because it's not only the heaviest stick insect, but they also have a very broad range of host plants. Keeping them, and...
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Why cucumber beetles aren't welcome in the garden!
This week we look at an infamous pest in gardens throughout North America, and why you should probably be proactive in keeping them off your gourds. This pest would be cucumber beetles: Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica undecimpunctata. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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The Centipede that became a Millipede! (Edentistoma octosulcatum)
This week was a listener request about a very interesting centipede. This specific species Edentistoma octosulcatum is quite literally a wolf in sheep's clothing because of how it hunts. So much so that even the first people who discovered it got confused. Learn all about this fascinating…
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The cutest giant(?) silkmoth. Rosy Maple Moths!
This week, we look at one of the most famous giant silkmoths, known as the rosy maple moth. You'll learn about the origins of their name, their life cycle, how to raise them as pets, and more! Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG:...
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Copepods! And why the world can't cope without them.
Copepods are some of the most abundant crustaceans on earth, but that's not what makes them special. Learn about how these animals are not only micro cows of the sea, but also make huge impacts on carbon reductions. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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Deer Ticks vs Dog/Wood Ticks and what to do when they bite!
This week we break down the differences between deer ticks and wood ticks, also known as dog ticks, and what happens when they bite. I'll, of course, cover the life cycles, including how Lyme disease is transmitted, and what to do if you end up getting infected. Patreon ->...
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Fairies are real! (Fairyflies, the tiniest insects in the world)
This week, we are going to look into the smallest known insects on earth and what it takes to have a fully functioning system in a body so small that they're quite literally invisible to the naked eye. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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Asian Jumping Worms! (You don't want these in your yard)
This week we're covering Asian jumping worms — and yes, they actually jump. These invasive earthworms from East Asia are tearing through the leaf litter of North American forests at an alarming rate, turning healthy soil into something that looks like used coffee grounds and leaving nothing…
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Ensign Wasps! (The Roach Hunters)
This week we're covering ensign wasps — the tiny black insects you've probably seen pacing along your walls, bobbing that little flag-like abdomen up and down. We'll look into their bizarre body plan, their 150-million-year history, and why the correct response to finding one is to leave it alone...
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The invisible menace you've definitely met! (No-See-Ums)
This week we're covering no-see-ums — the tiny biting flies you can't see, can't stop, and can't keep out of your house because they fly straight through window screens. We dig into why their bite stings so much more than a mosquito's, how they've been at this since the Cretaceous, and the one...
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Nature's most obnoxious vampires! (Horeseflies and Deerflies)
This week we're diving into the family Tabanidae — better known as horseflies and deerflies, the scissor-mouthed bullies of the insect world. We cover how they find you using polarised light, CO2, and ammonia rather than body heat, and why their bite hurts so much more than a mosquito's. Also!…
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Myth Busting Craneflies!
This week we're tackling one of the most misunderstood insects in the world — the cranefly. You probably know them as daddy longlegs, mosquito hawks, or that thing that's been bouncing off your ceiling for the past twenty minutes, but almost everything you think you know about them is probably...
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Dragon Headed Katydids!
Explore the world of dragon-headed katydids (genus Lesina), canopy-dwelling insects that mimic dried leaves and thorny growths with dramatic, dragon-like heads and powerful mandibles. This episode covers their appearance, nocturnal behavior, diet, and unique camouflaging wings and body shapes....
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The Monsters Within! Strepsiptera and Tarsonemid Mites (Internal Hosts of Insects)
Explore the eerie world of internal insect dwellers in this episode of Insects for Fun. From the twisted-wing Strepsiptera that spend their entire lives inside hosts to the tiny thread-footed mites of the Tarsinemidae family inhabiting tracheae, reproductive tissues, and hidden body spaces,...
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Insects That Shouldn’t Exist: Life on the Edge of Survival!
In this episode of Insects for Fun, we investigate species that survive conditions that seem lethal—freezing solid, near-total dehydration, oxygen starvation, and dangerously small, isolated populations. These insects persist through unique physiological tricks and extreme life-history…
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Thorn Bugs! Masters of Masquerade
This episode explores thorn bugs (treehoppers), tiny true bugs that mimic plant parts with exaggerated pronotums—spines, horns, and crests—that make them look like thorns, seed pods, or broken twigs. You’ll learn about their unusual anatomy, incomplete metamorphosis, communal nymphs, maternal…
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Termite Skyscrapers & Ant Metropolises: Nature’s Ultimate Architects
Learn how passive ventilation, honeycomb geometry, pheromone traffic systems, and other insect strategies inspire human architects and engineers through biomimicry. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG:...
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This fly can eat dragonflies!? (Robberflies)
Robber flies don’t chase crumbs or nectar. They hunt other insects in midair, inject them with venom, and drain them like juice boxes. If there were an apex predator category for flies, robber flies would be sitting comfortably at the top. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107…
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Huntsman Spiders! (you might want to keep these around)
Today we’re heading back into spider territory, specifically, the ones responsible for at least 50% of all “NOPE” reactions in Australian garages. Huntsman spiders are amazing predators that not only contend for the largest spiders in the world but are also incredibly fast. But what happens when...
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Bugs in space!
Today we’re talking about insects (and two spiders) in space: how bugs became the first astronauts, what happens to a spider web when there’s no “up” or “down,” and why the future Moon base might sound just a little bit… buzzy. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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Plume Moths: Tiny, T-Shaped, and Totally Underrated!
On this episode of Insects for Fun, we’re going to explore a tiny creature whose wings are divided like fans, who stands in a perfect T-pose long before video games made it cool, and who might be hiding—right now—somewhere in your garden or even in your house. Patreon ->...
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The weird world of water fleas!
This week is a listener request from someone over on YouTube, and I'm really glad it came in! Water fleas are incredible and incredibly tiny organisms that have a lot of really quirky tricks and traits. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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Insect plagues and how they start! (NOT the black plague)
This week, we dive into some plague insects and talk about how regular insects can turn into natural disasters. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB:...
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Hummingbird Moths!
This week's topic was chosen from Patreon, and it's a fun one! Learn all about hummingbird moths and how they compare to the real birds. We go into the physics of hovering flight, the art of mimicry, and the strange evolutionary story that led a humble moth to master the sky like a bird. Patreon…
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The hidden lives of Honeypot Ants!
Today we turn our attention to Honeypot Ants, specifically those in the genera Myrmecocystus and Camponotus. These ants in particular are famous for their incredible resilience to desert climates and strange survival strategies. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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The old world Swallowtail Butterfly!
The Old World Swallowtail is scientifically known as Papilio machaon. And yes this the butterfly on all those classic field guide covers”. The yellow wings with black veins and those elegant little tails make them iconic in the world of butterflies, but it’s not just a pretty face — it’s a...
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These wasps are artists! (Potter Wasps)
Today we're talking about an insect artist, a wasp with an incredible ability to produce sculptures not too unlike what human potters make. Potter wasps belong to the family Vespidae, but they're very unique for many reasons. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube:...
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Snail eating beetles! (Carabinae)
Have you ever picked up an empty snail shell and wondered who might have been clever enough to crack it? Enter the snail-eating beetle, a specialist predator that has evolved tools as precise as a locksmith’s to get at one of nature’s most well protected animals. Patreon ->...
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Terrariums 101!
This week we’re focusing on all things terrariums. We’re gonna look at the different types, what they’re used for, how they started and how to make them! So let’s get into it. This may be something we revisit later, as the topic is incredibly broad. Patreon ->...
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Indy is that you? (Whip Spiders!)
We’re looking at one of the most alien-looking arachnids you’ll ever meet. Despite their fearsome appearance, whip spiders are harmless to people. They don’t have venom, they don’t spin webs, and they don’t sting. But in the micro-world of the forest floors and caves, they are master hunters with...
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Don't kill these flies! (Hoverflies)
Today, we’re going to explore one of the most delightful and deceptive groups of insects you’ve definitely seen before—hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies. At first glance, you might mistake them for bees or wasps, but these are imposters with some fascinating roles in the…
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All's fair(?) in love and war with Field Crickets!
When you step outside on a warm late summer evening, one of the first things you’ll probably notice is that steady background chorus of chirping. It’s so familiar that many people tune it out completely, but field crickets are far from being just “noisy.” These insects live complex lives full of...
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The executioner! (wasp)
This week we are looking at a very specific species of paper wasp known as Polistes carnifex, aka the executioner wasp. On episode 91 of this show we talked about paper wasps in general, but this specific species stands out in many ways. In this episode we will also talk about and compare the…
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These bugs are silent killers (Assasin Bugs!)
Today we’re diving into the shadowy world of one of nature’s most notorious insect hitmen: the assassin bugs. With a name like that, you know they’re not here to play nice. These insects are masters of stealth, ambush, and precision strikes, earning them a reputation as some of the most ruthless...
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Click Beetles!
This week, we look at the lives of click beetles and all the interesting tricks of their trade! We break down how click beetles pull off their acrobatic launches without using their legs, dive underground into the long, secret lives of their larvae, meet the bioluminescent tropical species, and...
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Owlflies! (The nocturnal insect dragons)
This week we look into a small and largely unknown group of insects known as Owlflies! They're so unique that people can't quite figure out where they belong in the tree of life, but one thing is for sure: they're a special group of insects. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Is it a mantis? Wasp? Fly? It's a Mantidfly!
This week, we're taking a deep look into the oddities that make mantidflies so unique. This includes their bizarre life cycle, and of course their strange adaptations which make them unique hunters in the insect world. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Are we screwed? (Screwworms)
This week, we examine screwworms to learn about their impact on mammals and how they initiated a revolutionary practice of biological control. We also look at the current status of their outbreak in and how it happened. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Tiny Creatures, BIG legends!
This week, we're doing a folklore-focused episode covering many myths and legends across the world surrounding popular insect groups and an honorable mention. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB:...
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Mighty Mites! (Soil Mites, Spider Mites, Varroa, and the Ones Living on Your Skin)
This week we shrink down again to look at another tiny arthropod commonly mistaken for bugs. Except this one is very infamous. On this episode of Insects for Fun we take a deep dive into the territory known as "Mites" and learn all about the different kinds and what they do. Patreon ->...
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Tiny Insect Imposters! (Springtails)
This week, we dive into the micro world of springtails to learn about what they are, what they do, and why we need them. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email:...
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Freshwater Goblins? (Dobsonflies!)
This week we are talking about an insect that looks both prehistoric and something straight from the Nether in Minecraft. Dobsonflies might be terrifying but honestly you have nothing to fear and in fact its actually a good thing if you see one! Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107...
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Carnivorous Caterpillars!
Today we are looking at different noteworthy caterpillars that feed on or off other insects, how they do it, and why! The families of caterpillars mentioned in this episode are Geometridae, Epipyropidae, and Lycaenidae. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Gall Wasps! (what goes on in plant galls and are they bad for trees?)
This week we dive into the weird knobs called galls you sometimes see on tree leaves and branches. The culprit is often a tiny wasp, and in this episode, you'll learn how and why. We'll also explore some uses for these protein-packed, unusual plant growths. Patreon ->...
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Lobster Moths!
This week we dive into a very strange species of moth whose caterpillars look like they came right out of a sci-fi monster movie. We're gonna look at their behaviors, adaptations, and of course, how to raise them. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Cave Dwelling Insects!
This week, we switch gears from the hot trailblazers to the cold and dark excavator insects. We are looking at the top four insects that have evolved to live in cave systems where many other animals could never live. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Insects that live in extreme heat!
This week we are looking at some insects and one notable arthropod that loves to live where it is unbearably hot. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email:...
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Insects that use tools!
This week, we look at insect tool use across different orders and families. There are some really surprising things in this episode, and there are plenty of mentions of insects that have yet to make an appearance on the podcast. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Rainbow Stag Beetles!
This week, we are focusing on one of the most loved and well-known stag beetles around the world. Let's learn about the ecology, behaviors, and even how to raise the Rainbow Stag Beetle, scientifically known as Phalacrognathus muelleri. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG:...
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Is it a giant bumblebee or a goddess? (Bombus Dahlbomii)
This week, we're taking a deep dive into one of the world's largest bumble bees and why they're so important for both natural conservation and culture. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
An informational podcast covering all things insect and arthropod, hosted by a master in entomology! Join me every Tuesday to learn something new from notable species to broad topics and lore! You can support the show and get extra episodes here: patreon.com/user?u=46499107Email: [email protected]
HOSTED BY
insectsforfun
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Insects for Fun! have?
Insects for Fun! currently has 170 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Insects for Fun! about?
An informational podcast covering all things insect and arthropod, hosted by a master in entomology! Join me every Tuesday to learn something new from notable species to broad topics and lore! You can support the show and get extra episodes here: patreon.com/user?u=46499107Email:...
How often does Insects for Fun! release new episodes?
Insects for Fun! publishes regularly with 170 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Insects for Fun!?
You can listen to Insects for Fun! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Insects for Fun!?
Insects for Fun! is created and hosted by insectsforfun.
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