Arthro-Pod Episode 185: Introduction to Plant-Insect Interactions

Hey there fellow arthropod enthusiasts! In this episode, we talked with Sam Bolton, curator of mites at the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Specifically, we asked "what exactly is a mite?" and picked apart the fact that "mites" aren't a real group. We also chatted about mite mouthparts and weird, wormy soil mites called nematalycids.   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.

Howdy bug lovers! On today's episode, Jody and Jonathan talk about the green world and how insects have helped to form it. There's lot of discussion on plant and insect evolution and how an "evolutionary arms race" has heled to create the world as we know it. If you would like to read along with some of the papers referenced in the episode, here are some links that should provide free access.  Ehrlich & Raven https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1964.tb01674.x  Fraenkel  https://2024.sci-hub.se/2234/108528be68834a7f1f6fd29ea6081f2a/fraenkel1959.pdf     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.

In this episode of Arthro-pod, we explore the complex challenges of habitat restoration and species conservation through the lens of the endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle. Hosts are joined by special guest Dr. Gary Brewer to discuss the beetle’s unique ecological needs and the collaborative efforts to protect it—ranging from captive rearing and reintroduction projects to public outreach, community art, and the ongoing hurdles of conservation work.

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.   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.

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.

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.   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.

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!   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.

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.       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.

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.

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.