Arthro-Pod: February 2024

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Arthro-Pod EP 154: Talking Scale Insects with Scott Schneider

Howdy bug lovers! Scale insects are simultaneously fascinating and sort of uninteresting. They are notoriously immobile for much of their life, making them the insect of equivalent of couch potatoes. But, with that comes intriguing questions about how they live, thrive, and survive. Today, Mike is flying solo to interview Scott Schneider all about this particular group of true bugs! Tune in!

Scott Schneider, scale expert extraordinaire and our interviewee for this episode.

Scott hard at work in the field.

Hard scales on the underside of a leaf. Note the hard covering ("test") that covers the insects and the diversity of sizes and life stages.

Pine needle scales (Chionaspis pinifoliae) are another kind of hard scale and show some of the diversity in test shape and color between hard scale species.

Soft scale on a Rubus. Note how the waxy covering appears softer than that of hard scales.

Lac scales, from which products like shellac are produced.

Xenococcid scale insect that is associated with Acropyga ants.

Acropyga queen holding a xenococcid scale in her mandibles before her nuptial flight. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Acropyga worker moving a xenococcid scale. Photo by Jonghyun Park via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

All photographs by Scott Schneider and used with permission unless otherwise noted.

Show notes

Sodano et al. 2024. Scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) morphology is transformed under trophobiosis. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 117(1): 49–63, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad033

Schneider et al. 2018. Molecular phylogenetics of Aspidiotini armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) reveals rampant paraphyly, curious species radiations, and multiple origins of association with Melissotarsus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129: 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.09.003

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Arthro-Pod EP 153 Turkestan Cockroaches with Dr. Andrew Sutherland

Hello bug lovers and welcome to a roach filled Valentine's edition of Artho-Pod! Jody and Jonathan meet up with Dr. Andrew Sutherland of University of California Extension. Andrew is an urban entomologist and an area IPM advisor for UC who serves the San Francisco area. As for today's topic, the Turkestan cockroach is an intriguing invasive species that is competing with other roaches, such as the oriental roach, for space. Due to a variety of factors, the Turkestan roach seems to be spreading and is also being noticed by people in the western US. All of that adds up to an interesting podcast episode filled with cockroach facts, thoughts on how the Turkestan roach is spreading, and possible management strategies.