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 insect world. They’re not only excellent mimics but also some of the most important pollinators on the planet.

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Music: tommgn

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 competition, love songs, deception, and even a gamble-based fighting ring!? 

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Music by: Takada Fu

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 sting of an executioner wasp with that of the bullet ant.  

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Music by HM Surf

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 predators in the insect kingdom. But beyond their deadly image, assassin bugs are fascinating creatures with quirky behaviors, strange hunting tactics, and even a few surprising roles in human culture.

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Music by: S N U G

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 explore their surprising roles in human history and agriculture.

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Music by: Shingo Sekiguchi

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. 

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Music by "HM Surf"

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. 

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Music by "Blue Wednesday"

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.

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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. 

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Music by Murtoy. 

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. 

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Today's music by: Toshiki Hayashi