Arthro-Pod

Welcome back bug lovers! This is the second episode in a two part series about the history of imported fire ants in the United States and the ways we responded to their presence in the south. Colloquially these could be referred to as the "FIRE ANT WARS"! In this episode, we go deeper into the middle of the 20th century, a time where the wars are cold and the atoms are tamed. The ants however are running riot and some people really want to do something about it. Tune in to find out what they tried!

Show Notes: 

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3639751.html 

https://extension.msstate.edu/introduction-fire-ants 

https://fireant.tamu.edu/learn/history-of-the-red-imported-fire-ant/ 

The Fire Ant on Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5xK3xSk3eI 

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

This week we talk with Dr. George Gale about grape phylloxera - how it was introduced into France in the late 1800s, how it devastated French viticulture and wine production, and how ultimately we overcame this pest through hybridization and use of American rootstocks. We also touch upon the history of grape phylloxera in the rest of the world, with a focus on California.

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

In this episode, Ross Stewart from the Center for Biodiversity and Genomics discusses the innovative BugQuest project, which uses Malaise traps and DNA barcoding to study insect diversity across Canada. Discover how citizen science, advanced sequencing, and creative outreach are transforming entomology research. 

Keywords: entomology, DNA barcoding, Malaise traps, citizen science, insect diversity, BugQuest, genomics, biodiversity, scientific outreach

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Welcome back bug lovers! This is the first of a two part series about the history of fire ants in the United States and the ways we responded to their presence in the south. Colloquially these could be referred to as the "FIRE ANT WARS"! You can imagine your own pulse pounding beat to idea... In this episode, we unpack how fire ants arrived in the US, the sequence of events that led to red imported fire ant becoming so common, and the first forays into understanding this pest. 

Show Notes: 

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3639751.html 

https://extension.msstate.edu/introduction-fire-ants 

https://fireant.tamu.edu/learn/history-of-the-red-imported-fire-ant/ 

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Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Welcome back, Arthro-Pod listeners! This week we chat with Kevyn Juneau, Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin - River Falls, about teaching and research at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). We take a deep dive into his habitat restoration work in the Bahamas and how teaching at a PUI is different from a larger (e.g., R1, land grant, state) university. Part of Kevyn's research has been conducted via collaborations made through the Ecological Research as Education Network, which helps connect folks at PUIs so they can conduct larger, more impactful work across broader geographic areas.

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Hey bug lovers! In today's show, the crew meets up with Sally Raymond to talk all about integrated pest management in apple orchards. Apple production is fascinating and the ways growers manage pests are also unique compared to other ag systems. Tune in to learn about apples as a system, how are pests dealt with in orchards, Sally's work specifically looking at hail netting to stop pests, and how IPM helps the beneficial organisms in the orchard. 

Show notes: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219424000711#sec3

https://entomology.umn.edu/news/nelson-double-duty-nets

https://academic.oup.com/jee/article/116/6/2104/7334101

Get ready listeners, this episode is packed with so many things! Jody and Jonathan are joined by Dr. Ted Burk, who really didn't need any questions, prompts or an outline. It is an episode rich in stories about insects, scientific discovery, and conservation efforts—perfect for entomologists, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts alike. 

This interview with entomologist Dr. Burk follows his lifelong path from 4-H insect collecting to a decades-long career in behavior, ecology, and conservation at Creighton University. He shares stories from his research on American cockroaches, crickets, Caribbean fruit flies, conehead katydids, regal fritillaries, monarch butterflies, and fireflies, while highlighting how insect mating behavior, pollination, and prairie restoration reveal the deep ecological importance of even the smallest creatures.

Note: If you want to hear Ted talk about the biologically interesting state of Nebraska pay attention to 37:23-39:39.

More about Ted:

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Join us as we dive into the career journey and leadership insights of Melissa Siebert, a renowned entomologist in industry and the 2026 President of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Discover how her dedication, scientific expertise, and community-building efforts shape the future of entomology and agriculture.

Topics Covered:

Links:

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Hello bug lovers! In today's episode, Jody, Jonathan, and Michael are joined by entomology legend, Dr. Tom Turpin of Purdue University. Tom is an ESA fellow, an author (check out Flies in the Face of Fashion, Mites Make Right, and other Bugdacious Tales and What’s Buggin’ You Now? Bee’s Knees, Bug Lites, and Beetles), and is most famous for his work in teaching and outreach. 

Today, he helps Arthro-Pod to examine the use of insects and their relatives in poetry. If you have every wanted to know why the cicada sings or the why the firefly glows, this isthe episode for you!

If you want to read some of the poems discussed: 

https://www.literarymatters.org/18-1-meleager-of-gadara-to-the-cicada/ 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58430/firefly-56d23ccbb5f21 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53210/on-the-grasshopper-and-cricket

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Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

This week we chat with Calvin Norman, an extension forester with Penn State, about the importance of hemlock trees in eastern North America and the impact that hemlock woolly adelgid has had on hemlock forests. Spoiler, it's not good.

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Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!