Hey everyone, Michael here. I'm excited to share an interview I recorded with Denise Montelongo about gall wasps and her work on them at Penn State. We talked about what a gall is, what kind of organisms make galls, cynipid gall wasps, and a whole lot more. You can follow Denise's work through the Frost Museum on Twitter @FrostMuseumand the web; you can also sign up for the Museum's newsletter. Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Usually, the Arthro-Pod crew is all about tying to convince people that insects are cool and to be appreciated. However, they are only human and even they have some insects that they have convoluted pasts with. Some of them they may have come around on but others... well maybe it's best they stay separated! Tune in to hear each host's story! Show Notes EARWIGShttps://entomologytoday.org/2019/06/25/european-earwig-fruit-pest-potential-ally-or-both/ Video about wing folding for earwigs: https://youtu.be/Q4NiF3w101Q Scientific paper about earwig wing folding: https://bio.biologists.org/content/5/5/638?rss=1 Deep look about what earwigs (maratime earwgs, which are cousins of European earwigs) use their forceps for: https://youtu.be/HuOnqWpIL9E How to tell the temperature with a cricket https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-cricket-temperature/ Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Welcome back to Arthro-Pod! Today is part two of our deep dive into the history of DDT, a long and convoluted story that has lots of effects on us today. This portion of the story is about the long fall that DDT had, beginning with the publication of "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson and ending with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. We talk about the way people viewed Rachel Carson and her work, what the problem is with believing in a "silver bullet", and how DDT may have helped politicize environmentalism.  Show notes Learn more about Rachel Carson and her work at https://www.rachelcarson.org This is also a good look at current perspectives on her and her work https://slate.com/technology/2012/09/silent-spring-turns-50-biographer-william-souder-clears-up-myths-about-rachel-carson.html If you enjoyed the show, the majority of the research for it came from David Kinkela's book "DDT and The American Century". It's highly recommended if you want to see more of the primary sources and the inspiration for a lot of our discussion. https://uncpress.org/book/9781469609775/ddt-and-the-american-century/ Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

If you have been watching the news lately, you have undoubtedly heard the phrase "murder hornet" being thrown around. There’s a lot of fear-mongering and sensationalism out there. We’re all stressed out and anything nicknamed a “murder hornet” can’t be good. The Arthro-Pod gang is here with a special podcast episode to tell you it will be okay and there is little/no chance of you being murdered by one of these hornets. If you have a life-threatening allergy to bees/wasp venom, and even if you don’t, be aware of your surroundings and avoid disturbing hives or nests. Even the cutest, most helpful honey bee will sting you of she thinks the colony is in danger. We are including some helpful resources here from reliable sources if you are interested in learning more about the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia. But please stop calling it the “murder hornet”. Entomologists do not and have never referred to them as such. Bottom line: Chill don’t kill.  Photo: Quinlyn Baine, Washington State Department of Agriculture.Resources SDA APHID New Pest Response Guidelines (Last update 2020)https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/PP/PestProgram/Vespa_mandarinia_NPRG_10Feb2020-(002).pdf Washington State: Asian Giant Hornet in the Pacific NorthwestPresentation by entomologist Chris Looney (March 2020) from Washington State Department of Aghttps://youtu.be/36TFu_W1Vio Washington State Department of Agriculturehttps://agr.wa.gov/departments/insects-pests-and-weeds/insects/hornets WSDA - Hornet FB Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/hornets Penn State extension publication https://extension.psu.edu/asian-giant-hornets Purdue Landscape Report https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/murder-hornets-should-you-panic-probably-not-heres-why/  University of Kentucky infographic https://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2020/05/05/asian-giant-hornet-in-the-news-but-not-kentucky/ Info from North Carolina Statehttps://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/05/asian-giant-hornets/ University of West Virginia https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/media-center-blog/2020/05/05/expert-pitch-it-s-time-to-kill-the-murder-hornet-headlines New York IPM responsehttp://blogs.cornell.edu/nysipm/2020/05/05/asian-giant-hornets-a-concern-for-new-york/Interview from University of California Riversidehttps://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=41391&sharing=yes&fbclid=IwAR3pSd0A6l9sRfRVzEOo9911mdtMeu2ja5-V-fYEcEE2VvZutKt8W7RNJl0Texas A&M post on giant hornets https://citybugs.tamu.edu/2020/05/05/giant-hornets/ Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy, there bug folks! Today's show is going to be the first part of a two parter on the insecticide known as DDT. The topic is a little dark, so we hope you'll take care when exposing younger listeners. We're going to cover the initial discovery of DDT, what kind of world it came to be popular in, and how DDT became forever linked to American ideas abroad. It's a complicated story with lots of twists and turns and one that is still having reverberations today. We hope you'll tune in and learn along with us! We start by covering the beginning of widespread insecticide use in the US, which involved a lot of application of Paris green for mosquitoes. Paris green is an arsenic based insecticide which had numerous side effects for the environment and people. Here we can see a man mixing Paris green with gravel dust so it can applied to marshes and a propaganda poster advertising the benefits of Paris green.  The Colorado potato beetle is an insect that reoccurs in the story of DDT. Issues with this insect led to the use of Paris green as an insecticide, it was one of the first pests controlled by DDT, and was of concern to the Nazi government. Here we can see propaganda posters related to the beetle and its invasion of Germany.  DDT was released into the civilian market in 1945 and advertisements had been preparing people to buy and use it. World War Two had helped to show the homefront that there was an insecticide coming that would help cure their ills.  You'll notice a theme of happy women and protected babies in many DDT ads from the time.  DDT was an integral part of American success in WW2 and became a cornerstone of international efforts to deal with malaria and typhus. Unfortunately, with war raging, many of the initial tests on DDT and its effects on humans were focused on the acute symptoms. Therefore, the long term human and ecological effects were allowed to simmer.  Show notes: Check out the book "DDT and the American Century" for the information in the episode Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy bug lovers! Today we are excited to have Dr. Greg Pask on the show. Greg is an expert in insect olfaction, how they smell the world. Smell plays a huge role in an insect's life and Greg studies the ways their sensory organs work and how insects use them in a smelly world. It's an important part of insect anatomy and of entomology history. So tune in to hear all about sensilla, pheromones, and how we can manipulate insects with their odors! Want to learn more about insect smell? https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/when-did-insects-learn-to-smell/ https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/science/insects-dont-need-noses-to-sense-a-stench.html Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy, bug lovers! The Arthro-Pod gang hopes you are all doing as well as as can be during a time of craziness in the world. We have a great guest on the show this week, Dr. Tierney Brosius, who we get to chat with all about teaching science at a smaller academic institution, scientific illustration, and some entomology fashion! Tienery has a great Instagram hashtag for herself #entofashion. Hopefully if you have some bug clothing you want to show off, you can join her on that platform. Tune in to hear more! Show notes  The project from her dissertation at UNL https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/60/1/39/6833 Here is Dr. Brosius' profile at Augustana Collegehttps://www.augustana.edu/academics/faculty-directory/tierney-brosius Tierney is also known for her illustration abilities: Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy bug lovers! Today is a special treat for us, the Arthro-Pod gang gets to meet a hero of ours, Sophia Spencer. You may remember Sophia's story from a couple years back, she has always had a passion for insects but unfortunately encountered bullying for her interests. After a particularly bad incident at school, her mom, Nicole Spencer, wrote to the Entomological Society of Canada to see if any entomologists would want to be a pen pal for Sophia. Dr. Morgan Jackson responded, wondering if he could share the story on Twitter. The result was more than anyone could have imagined as #bugsr4girls became quite a phenomenon! Since then, Sophia has co-authored a scientific paper with Morgan and is now publishing a book, "The Bug Girl", to share her story and inspire others to follow their interests, even if they don't quite fit the normal mold! Tune in to hear all about Sophia's journey and why she loves grasshoppers so much! Show Notes If you would like to buy Sophia's book, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Girl-True-Story/dp/0525645934 Here is a link to Sophia's paper Finally, Sophia recommends the National Geographic insect books to anyone trying to promote an interest in their children! Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy bug lovers! On today's program, the Arthro-Pod gang meets up with Meghan Barrett, a PhD student at Drexel University. Meghan is a researcher, studying the neuroanatomy of wasps and bees but she is also passionate about science communication and creativity. We chat about her research and how we can integrate the creative world of poetry and theatre into science. Tune in! Meghan with her research associated hat!Show Notes Check out Meghan's website to find out more about her work, both in entomology and in writing http://meghan-barrett.com/If you go to pages 8-9 of this magazine, you can find one of her poems https://fireflymagazine.weebly.com/issue-8.htmlFinally, if you want to learn more about the play "Copenhagen" that Meghan mentions, check out this article https://www.thoughtco.com/copenhagen-by-michael-frayn-2713671  Questions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Howdy bug lovers! Today we're talking about blood stealing ectoparasites and learning all about ticks from University of Kentucky graduate student Anna Pasternak. Anna is working on a large scale tick survey in Kentucky that is helping us to see how populations of ticks may be changing in the state and monitor for the invasive Asian longhorned tick. Anna also tests her ticks for pathogens and is finding that Lyme may be more of an issue in the state than previously thought. Tune in to learn about tick biology, tick borne disease, and how to prevent them from biting you! Anna Pasternak after a successful day of "ticking" in the woodsShow notes The Lone Star Tick in Kentucky: https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef648 Ticks and Disease in Kentucky https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef618 Tick Encounter is also a great resource for learning about ticks and how to identify them https://tickencounter.org/ Black legged deer tick at the 12 o'clock position, clockwise next would be the American dog tick and then Lone-star tick Photo by Jim Kalisch; UNL Entomology DeptQuestions? Comments? Follow the show on Twitter @Arthro_PodshowFollow the hosts on Twitter @bugmanjon, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36Get the show through Apple Podcasts!Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!   We're also on Stitcher! This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0