Bugs Need Heroes

Across the Spider-People (MILES MORALES, JESSICA DREW, MIGUEL O’HARA)

We recorded this episode before the release of the 2023 animated film Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse to discuss the heroes we expect to see in the film (Miles Morales, Jessica Drew, Gwen Stacy, and Miguel O'Hara), what we love about these characters, and to make wild speculation about the plot based on some of the comics we have read. We previously published an episode about Peter Parker in September 2022 discussing how that Spider-Man's powers compare to real life spiders. Tangents include Disney's Encanto, the dystopian setting of Marvel's Spider-Man 2099, the trouble with multiverse stories, and what Brian Michael Bendis is like as a college professor (adjunct).
 
This episode contains minor spoilers for The Mitchell's Vs The Machines and Spider-Man: No Way Home but does not have spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse unless we got lucky.
 
Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/across-the-spider-people
Send us questions and suggestions! BugsNeedHeroes@gmail.com
Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugsneedheroes/
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Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman with editing by Derek Conrad.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Super Mom (EARWIGS)

The vocab word of the day is cerci. Amanda proves she has been paying attention in this episode about perhaps the buggiest bug who ever bugged. This episode discusses the soil beasts who you may find in your bathroom and their outstanding parental care. Tangents in this episode include the moral capacity for evil in dolphins, garter snakes, and the films of Don Bluth (both real and imagined). 
 
Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-super-mom
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Basic Bug (SILVERFISH)

Get ready to learn some entomology jargon! This episode is all about what a bug is. We discuss taxonomy, anatomy, how we are defining a "bug" in this podcast. If you've ever wondered if bugs are tasting you with their feet, this episode is for you. Tangents in this episode include eating ants, marine biology, and fiddler crabs in The Little Mermaid.
 
Field notes and artwork on our website: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-basic-bug
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Goth Moth (DEATH’S-HEAD HAWKMOTH)

The star of the cover of the VHS box art of the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs is here. This aesthetic insect has a dark secret! What relationship does she have with the bees, poisonous plants, and bad omens? Tangents in this episode include Ikea trips, targeted advertisements, and spoilers for American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
Episode notes and artwork: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-goth-moth
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Killer Queen (CICADA KILLER)

Introducing the final member of our "Bee Team". Fastidious and precise! Guaranteed to blow your mind! Although they look intimidating, Cicada Killers (Sphecius spp) have been described as "the gentle giants of the wasp world." These gregarious wasps have a surprisingly survival strategy. Also in this episode, Amanda forgets to turn off her discord notifications and learns about insect wings. 
 
Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-killer-queen
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Cottagecore Queen (MASON BEES)

It is time! We recorded this episode back in January and saved it until it was time. It is time! It is time to put out your mason bee houses! Kelly describes the natural history of these powerful pollinators and Amanda quickly becomes infatuated. These belly-flopping bees are lemon-scented friends and they are as beautiful as the orchards they visit. And if you want these beneficial bugs in your backyard, you can set up a house for Osmia and other insects to use. Also in this episode, Amanda tries to show Kelly her ears.
 
Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-cottagecore-queen
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Last of Ants (CORDYCEPS)

Kelly and Amanda start this episode talking about oral surgery but pivot to something slightly less scary: The Last of Us. There are many types of infectious fungi, but we focus on the cordyceps/ophiocordyceps species which infect terrestrial arthropods. We talk about some of the common zombie tropes, how fungi partner with trees, and how ants avoid their own apocalyptic fungal infections. 
 
Show notes and hero: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-last-of-ants
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

The Anti-hero (PAVEMENT ANTS)

This is an encore that you probably already heard before! Producer Derek accidently published this a second time, but its a good recap on ant behaviors before the CORDYCEPS episode.
In this episode Amanda and Kelly discuss PAVEMENT ANTS (Tetramorium caespitum). You may have see them, their sand volcanos, or their wars.
Kelly's field notes and Amanda's artwork for this character: https://www.bugsneedheroes.com/episodes/the-anti-hero
See the heroes 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
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Hosted by Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman.
Artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Part Two: Plants Need Bugs (DC’s POISON IVY/SWAMP THING, Marvel’s GROOT)

This week we are joined by Dr. Pedram Daneshgar! We continue last week's discussion on plant super powers and their pollinators. We veer into plant defenses and regeneration, fungal relationships, gardening, and house plants! We tried to cover everything but if we didn't, we'd love another excuse to invite Ped back.
 
Ped's Lab Page: https://pedram34.wixsite.com/pedramdaneshgar
Ped's Monmouth University page: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/pedram-daneshgar/
Ped's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeky.gardener/
Ped's Twitter: https://twitter.com/pedpatrick
 
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.

Part One: Plants Need Bugs (DC’s POISON IVY/SWAMP THING, Marvel’s GROOT)

This week we are joined by Dr. Pedram Daneshgar! With the Bee Team almost completed, we wanted to talk to a botanist about pollination, but we quickly got off topic. We talk about invasive species, pollination, art history, and our favorite plant super heroes. This conversation was great and will continue into a second episode next week.
 
Ped's Lab Page: https://pedram34.wixsite.com/pedramdaneshgar
Ped's Monmouth University page: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/pedram-daneshgar/
Ped's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeky.gardener/
Ped's Twitter: https://twitter.com/pedpatrick
 
 
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.
Created by Derek Conrad and Kelly Zimmerman.
Character artwork by Amanda Niday.
Music by Rolemusic.