Can I Bug You?

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.