Bugs Need Heroes

Bugs Need Heroes

On each episode of Bugs Need Heroes, an ecologist and an illustrator team-up to create a new insect-inspired super hero. The finished characters are posted to our social media pages and at BugsNeedHeroes.com Email us questions about bugs at BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman. Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman. Edited by Derek Conrad. Character artwork by Amanda Niday. ”Ladybug Castle” by Rolemusic is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 International License.

Episodes

September 20, 2026 • 69 mins

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z talk about click beetles. These classic beetles deserve a classic superhero look. Tangents include Disney, dinosaurs, and social media (we prefer reddit).

Bug discussion begins around 11:00

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/skip-jack

Thank you to listener Maria for this suggestion!

Editor's Note: episodes may be out of order while we wrap up things from summer.

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Amanda and Dr Kelly Z review the movie Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and the video game Grounded.

Editor's Note: episodes may be out of order while we wrap up things from summer.

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/

Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes

Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes

Hosted by Amanda Nid...

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July 12, 2026 • 32 secs

Producer Derek messed up the summer schedule so things will be intermittent until everyone gets back from family/travel/bug related adventures.

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July 5, 2026 • 59 mins

Kelly guests on Spooko Podcast to talk about the film Prince of Darkness and discuss bug wranglers, 'pre'-biotics, and why so many horror movies about satan assume bugs are bad guys. Follow Spooko on Insta: @_spooko_ Join the Feel Bad Club on our discord: https://discord.gg/mJAJYCChGy And if you're keen for more Peach and Shag, check out our OTHER pod (it's about Gordon Ramsay): @peachandshagsnightmaremethod

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Dr Kelly Z is out today and filling in for her is Ellen Weatherford of Just The Zoo of Us podcast to discuss lovebugs (Plecia nearctica). Many tangents in this episode including Florida mullets, Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos, "shadow daddies," and a history of Batman's sidekicks.

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/

Join us on Twitter: https:/...

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June 14, 2026 • 82 mins

Amanda and Kelly share their thoughts about the 1998 Disney/Pixar movie A Bug's Life. Movie discussion begins at 5:30

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/

Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes

Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes

Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad and ...

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Amanda and Dr Kelly Z talk discuss the order Siphonaptera. They talk about all the things fleas are famous for: jumping on cats, giving rats the plague, and singing about California. Tangents include Elvira, circuses, and orcas.

Bug discussion begins at 8:29

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/99-episodes-but-an-itch-aint-one

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagr...

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May 18, 2026 • 63 mins

This episode we are joined by Joey Santore of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't.

Joey's website: https://www.crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com/

Joey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crime_pays_but_botany_doesnt

Joey's YouTube: https://www.instagram.com/crime_pays_but_botany_doesnt

Joey's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt

Joey's Book (pre-order link): https://www.crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com/concrete-botany-pre-...

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May 3, 2026 • 60 mins

Send in the clown beetles! Amanda thinks they are the most beetle you can be! Dr Kelly Z thinks they are cute! This episode is not for the coulrophobic! Tangents include Jason Bateman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and isopods!

Bug discussion begins around 9:30

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/clown-detective

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: https://www.in...

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April 20, 2026 • 81 mins

The uncrushable beetle has arrived in all his bedazzlements. Tangents include America's Next Top Model, Frankenstein, and a lot of wrestling talk. And Amanda picked a name that was already a superhero, so I had to choose a different title.

Bug discussion begins around 9:00

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/larva-face

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: htt...

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April 5, 2026 • 70 mins

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z talk about leaf cutter ants. This is an iconic ant. 'Nuff said!

Bug discussion begins around 6:00

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/attaantium

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/

Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bugsneedheroes

Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BugsNeedHeroes

H...

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This episode we are joined by Dr Kit Prendergast to talk about wild bees! How do we protect these important pollinators from the many threats and what exactly are those threats? And what the heck is a lek? We talk about naming an undescribed species after Tom Ellis, costuming, and the challenges of science outreach when discussing honeybees. Unfortunately this is an audio medium so you'll have to go to her socials to see pictures o...

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March 5, 2026 • 19 secs

At Emerald City Comic Con. Back again soon!

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There are only seven basic plots: Overcoming the monster, Rags to riches, Voyage/Return, Comedy, Tragedy, Rebirth, and the Quest. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is all seven. Eric Carle himself said its "a book of hope... a way about growing up, how scary it is, but how you can fly into the world with your talents." He is wrong. It is a book of conquest.

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the large blue butterfly (Phengaris arion) which...

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February 9, 2026 • 59 mins

Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss a popular family of insects and one in particular that is very popular in zoos and museums, the giant-australian-prickly-walking-stick-insect (Extatosoma tiaratum). Tangents include Indiana Jones, pirates, and the weather. Bug discussion begins around 9:00

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/scicomm-spectre

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com

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January 26, 2026 • 75 mins

This week Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the Lord Howe Stick Insect (Dryococelus australis). This species was presumed extinct until a small extant population was found and efforts from captive breeding programs in zoos brought them back. It's not quite Jurassic Park but we like it. Tangents include carnivorous deer, ecological niches, and hit musicals. Bug discussion begins around 12:00

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January 12, 2026 • 75 mins

This episode we are joined by Dr Nina Jenkins of ConidioTec to talk bed bugs and how a fungal treatment called Apprehend she developed can be used to control them. We discuss how a biocontrol agent for aphids, whiteflies, and thrips went through the shark tank and regulatory agencies to your bedroom. Tangents include tarantula people, vampire entomology, and Jurassic Park (always!) 

Bug discussion begins around 4:50

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December 29, 2025 • 79 mins

We take another dip into our spider-verse with a discussion of spitting spiders and spider sociality. Tangents include parenting and homework advice, hamster cannibalism, Superman, Fionna and Cake. It takes a friendly neighborhood to raise a spider (aka a crawl space).

Bug discussion begins around 7:10

Kevin's Spider Video: Spitting Spider (Scytodes longipes) exhibiting its "spitting" behavior.

Kelly's Field Notes: https://www.bug...

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December 14, 2025 • 80 mins

This week Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss the family Pentatomidae, also known as shield bugs but more commonly known as stink bugs. You may have fought them in the video game Grounded. Special attention is given to the Brown Mamorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) for being an agricultural pest and seasonal nuisance in winter. Tangents include children's names, eating bugs, and how Kelly was married by a sea captain.

Bug discussion ...

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November 30, 2025 • 69 mins

This episode Amanda and Dr Kelly Z discuss mantidflies (Mantispidae), which are neither mantids nor flies. Tangents include movies, deviled eggs, and kicking robot dogs. And Kelly eats some ant sauce??? Thanks to Andrew for nominating this bug. Bug discussion begins around 10:05

Kelly's Field Notes and pictures from Kevin Weiner: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/spider-rider

Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHero...

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