Arthro-Pod

Arthro-Pod Episode 183: Gall wasps with Louis Nastasi

Welcome back Arthro-Poders! Today we chat with Louis Nastasi about gall wasps. Louis recently defended his PhD dissertation at Penn State, which focused on the herb gall wasps (Cynipidae: Aulacideini), especially species of Antistrophus on Silphium. A number of the chapters have already been published, including a catalogue of North American herb gall wasps, key to herb gall wasps and their inquilines, and a revision of the Antistrophus rufus species complex. We start with an introduction to galls and gall wasps, then talk about some of the specifics of his work.
 
Show Notes
You can find show notes on the blog.
 
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Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod Episode 182: Insect ID and Reddit

Hey there insect lovers! This episode is a real treat, Jody, Jonathan, and Michael are joined by Douglass Hughes and Skalla Resco, two members of the moderation team at r/bugidentification over at Reddit. These are two selfless people who spend their time making sure folks know what insects they are encountering indoors and out and they have so many stories to share!
Tune in to learn about the behind the scenes action of how a subreddit works, what are some of the most common insects people are asking questions about, and how reddit is a lot like Extension work!
 
Show Notes
https://www.reddit.com/r/bugidentification/
 
You can find show notes on the blog.
 
Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!
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!
 
Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod Ep 181: The Role of Beneficial Insects in Pest Management

In this episode of Arthropod, hosts Jody Green and Michael Skvarla discuss the importance of beneficial insects in gardening, emphasizing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. They explore how to identify and encourage beneficial insects, the role of predators, and the significance of plant selection in creating a healthy ecosystem. 
Keywords: gardening, beneficial insects, pests, integrated pest management, entomology, insect identification, plant selection, ecosystem, natural pest control, urban gardening
You can find show notes on the blog.
 
Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!
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!
 
Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod EP 180: Arthropods of the Elder Scrolls Universe

Welcome back to Arthro-Pod! In this episode, Michael explores arthropods of the Elder Scrolls universe, including those featured in the games Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and Elder Scrolls Online. Because this is such a visual episode, you can find show notes on the blog.
 
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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!
 
Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod EP 179: Periodical Cicadas through History

Welcome back bug lovers! If you live in the US, specifically in about 12 different states in the east and midwest, you might be hearing the delightful songs of periodical cicadas. If you have ever wondered how these insects have been studied throughout the years or what they have meant historically, this is the podcast episode for you! Join Jody, Jonathan, and Michael as they go back through time and discuss periodical cicadas and Native American culture, what the pilgrims thought they were, and how the discovery of 13 and 17 year cicadas occurred. By the end, you might be tempted to climb a tree and scream just so you can join the chorus of history!
 
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Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod EP 178: The Insect Abdomen

Greetings Arthro-Pod listeners! This week, Michael leads the Arthro-Pod team in a discussion about the abdomen. This is the latest in our series about the different parts of insects and other hexapods. Other episodes include
162: The Insect Head
144: Insect Wings
143: Insect Legs
130: Chew, Digest, Poop - How Insects Eat
 
While many might consider the abdomen to be a boring hotdog, we find out how there's actually a lot going on both inside and outside of the abdomen.
 
 
 
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Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

Arthro-Pod EP 177: Trial of the Honey Bee with Dr. Judy Wu-Smart

In this episode the hosts of Arthro-pod interview Dr. Judy Wu-Smart about the pros and cons of the European honey bees. The conversation touches on the historical context of honey bees in North America, the challenges of colony collapse disorder, the implications of neonicotinoids in agriculture, the impact of pesticides on pollinator health, and the regulatory challenges surrounding bee conservation. The discussion highlights the complex relationship between wild and managed bees, emphasizing the need for diverse pollinators in ecosystems.

Arthro-Pod EP 176: Yellow Fever and Walter Reed, part 2

Greetings Arthro-Pod listeners! This week, Michael continues the story of Walter Reed and the discovery that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. Specifically, we talk about the major players on the Yellow Fever Board, the experiments they did with live human subjects, and how they determined that mosquitos, and not fomites, are how yellow fever infects each new victim.

Arthro-Pod EP 175: Yellow Fever and Walter Reed, part 1

Greetings Arthro-Pod listeners! This week, Michael introduces us to yellow fever. Specifically, we cover the first major outbreak of the disease in the United States in Philadelphia in 1793 and the broader history of yellow fever in the United States through the 1800s. This sets the stage for the story of Walter Reed and his discovery that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, which quickly led it it's eradication from Cuba and elsewhere in the world.
 
We first discussed yellow fever in episodes 89 and 91, which can be found on Archive.org.
 
Questions? Comments? 
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Arthro-Pod EP 174 Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles are Real Ladybugs

Hello bug lovers! In this exciting edition of Arthro-Pod, Jody leads Mike and Jon through an episode entirely dedicated to the multicolored Asian lady beetle. It is known by many names, the multicolored lady bug, the Halloween beetle, and the fake ladybug amongst others. You may have seen them in your home just recently or been unlucky enough to feel their bite! In this episode, you'll learn how they appeared in the US, the other ways they can pose problems, and ponder the reasons why people would call a real member of the Coccinelidae a "fake lady beetle". MALB spending the winter with Jody GreenShow NotesMike refers to Harmonia axyridis Wikipedia page to
see variations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_axyridis  Bugguide: https://bugguide.net/node/view/397  Lost lady bug project: http://www.lostladybug.org/ Convergent lady beetleJournal article about MALB and dogs after ingestion in
Toxicon by Stocks and Lindsey 2008:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0041010108003395#fig1
 A Review of Ladybug Taint in Wine: Origins, Prevention, and
Remediation by Pickering and Botezau 2021 https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/14/4341
 Journal article about MALB and seasonal allergens: Nakazawa
et al. 2007 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674906030235?via%3Dihub Goetz 2008: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5423147_Harmonia_axyridis_ladybug_invasion_and_allergy
 Information about molecule, harmonine from Max Planck
Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany https://www.mpg.de/7246516/Asian-lady-beetles
 
Vacuum with pantyhose method: https://www.mypmp.net/2016/05/19/recommend-this-method-to-bed-bug-afflicted-clients/  MALB eggsMALB larvae                                        MALB pupae                                                    Newly emerged MALB adult and pupal shellAdult MALB going to town on some aphidsQuestions? Comments? Contact the show at jonathan.larson@uky.eduFind the hosts on social media:@bugmanjon and @napoleonicento on BlueSkyGet the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!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!