Every superhero has their origin story, and a superhero of science is no different…

From watching slater bugs and catching non-venomous snakes in her garden just outside Toronto in Canada, to harnessing lizards with palm fronds in the Caribbean, Tanya Latty was always going to study animals.

But it wasn't until an invertebrate zoology class that her "mind exploded" and her passion for entomology became clear.

She went to the Rocky Mountains to study mountain pine beetles for her PhD — where she also accidentally studied bears and cougars up close.

These days Tanya is based in Australia and raises awareness and understanding of invertebrates after bushfires.

This is the origin story of Associate Professor Tanya Latty.

Featuring:

• Associate Professor Tanya Latty, entomologist and insect ecologist at the University of Sydney

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.