Ensign Wasps! (The Roach Hunters)

This week we're talking about tree crickets. A group of crickets that has been restored from a subfamily to a fully independent family, known as Oecanthidae. These crickets have some really unique traits and behaviors that make them absolutely worth their own episode. We also go into the history of how and why you can use their chirps to tell the temperature outside.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6     Music by Sudare

This week, we have a listener submission for the stick insect species Heteropteryx dilatata. The species is widespread across zoos, insectariums, and exotic insect hobbyists because it's not only the heaviest stick insect, but they also have a very broad range of host plants. Keeping them, and especially raising them, is not for the impatient, though...     Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6     Music by Shingo sekiguchi

This week we look at an infamous pest in gardens throughout North America, and why you should probably be proactive in keeping them off your gourds. This pest would be cucumber beetles: Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica undecimpunctata.  Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6     Music by Yuhei Miura

This week was a listener request about a very interesting centipede. This specific species Edentistoma octosulcatum is quite literally a wolf in sheep's clothing because of how it hunts. So much so that even the first people who discovered it got confused. Learn all about this fascinating centipede and a couple other arthropods that have also cracked the code to eating Millipede each in a unique way.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6     Music by Kei Kawaguchi

This week, we look at one of the most famous giant silkmoths, known as the rosy maple moth. You'll learn about the origins of their name, their life cycle, how to raise them as pets, and more!    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6    

Copepods are some of the most abundant crustaceans on earth, but that's not what makes them special. Learn about how these animals are not only micro cows of the sea, but also make huge impacts on carbon reductions.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6  

This week we break down the differences between deer ticks and wood ticks, also known as dog ticks, and what happens when they bite. I'll, of course, cover the life cycles, including how Lyme disease is transmitted, and what to do if you end up getting infected.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6  

This week, we are going to look into the smallest known insects on earth and what it takes to have a fully functioning system in a body so small that they're quite literally invisible to the naked eye.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6  

This week we're covering Asian jumping worms — and yes, they actually jump. These invasive earthworms from East Asia are tearing through the leaf litter of North American forests at an alarming rate, turning healthy soil into something that looks like used coffee grounds and leaving nothing behind for native plants to grow in. We cover how to identify them, why the Northeast is especially vulnerable, how one worm can start an entire infestation on its own, and what you can actually do about it. Check your garden before you listen. Actually, check it after too. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6     Music by Takada Fu  

This week we're covering ensign wasps — the tiny black insects you've probably seen pacing along your walls, bobbing that little flag-like abdomen up and down. We'll look into their bizarre body plan, their 150-million-year history, and why the correct response to finding one is to leave it alone and say thank you.   Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun  IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected]  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6