Arthro-Pod Episode 37: Bugging out with Matt Bertone

Hey there bug lovers! On today's episode of Arthro-Pod we catch up with Matt Bertone of NC State and learn about his role as an insect identifier, how to best scoop cow dung into scientific samples, and what kinds of arthropods dwell in your home!

Tune in to learn all about it!

Dr. Bertone is not only a great scientist but also an expert photographer!

One of the big projects we chat with Matt about is an indoor arthropod survey, you can read all about it at this link: https://peerj.com/articles/1582/

Take a second to connect with our guest on Twitter, you can find him: 
@Bertonemyia
Questions? Comments? 

Follow the hosts on Twitter @JLarson_UNL, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

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This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Arthro-Pod EP 36 Bee Venom and Apitherapy

Hey there bug lovers! On our latest episode we are will dissect the contents of bee venom and discuss the possible medical uses of it. Bee venom is a chemical cocktail of pain inducing compounds but many people allow themselves to be stung for therapeutic reasons. Data suggests that there may be promising results but there is also reason for extreme caution before pursuing this course of action. 

Tune in to learn more! 

Honey bees have many uses, is one of them medicinal? (Photo credit: Jim Kalisch; UNL Entomology)

Apitherapy Episode Show Notes:

http://www.health.com/beauty/gwyneth-paltrows-bee-sting-therapy

http://www.beeculture.com/bee-venom-therapy/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4440710/

https://healthybutsmart.com/bee-venom-therapy/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apitherapy

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/bee-venom-therapy-grassroots-medicine/

http://www.beeculture.com/bee-venom-chemistry-ouch/

A bee sting removed from the bee (Photo credit: Jim Kalisch; UNL Entomology)

Definitions to consider:

Apitherapy: The use of honey bee related products for medicinal purposes. Includes venom, honey, beeswax, etc.

Bee venom therapy (BVT):  "in which bee venom is used for medicinal purposes, is available worldwide, but is primarily utilized in Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. The diverse therapeutic applications of BVT include various musculoskeletal conditions, such as arthritis and rheumatism, chronic recalcitrant neuralgia, arthralgia, and immune-related diseases. BVT is also used to desensitize patients to bee stings and thus inhibit allergic reactions"

A typical reaction a bee sting (Photo credit: Jim Kalisch; UNL Entomology)

Arthro-Pod Episode 35 Insects and Arachnids in Folklore

Hey there bug lovers! On today's enthralling new Arthro-Pod Jody and Jonathan discuss how insects have fit into cultural folklore from around the world. Tune in to hear about how arachnids may have helped to create life on earth or about how mosquitoes came to be. If those seem to grand in scale we also discuss the good luck associated with lady beetles and meteorological skills of caterpillars. All good stuff and we hope you'll join us!

Mosquito photo by James Kalisch; UNL Entomology Dept

What is folklore? Source: 

https://www.thoughtco.com/defining-terms-myth-folklore-legend-735039

http://www.afsnet.org/?page=whatisfolklore

Woollybear photo by James Kalisch; UNL Entomology Dept. 

Some other cool links to check out about specific insects and folklore surrounding them:

https://www.thoughtco.com/legends-and-lore-of-bees-2561655

http://mentalfloss.com/article/86002/strange-superstitions-about-8-everyday-insects-around-world

https://www.thoughtco.com/butterfly-magic-and-folklore-2561631

https://www.almanac.com/content/woolly-bear-caterpillars-and-weather-prediction

Questions? Comments? 

Follow the hosts on Twitter @JLarson_UNL, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through iTunes!

Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!  

We're on Stitcher too! 

This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Arthro-Pod Episode 34 Attack of the bug-eating plants

Hey there bug lovers! On today's show Michael Skvarla is flying solo to interview fellow Penn State entomologist Dr. Tanya Renner! Dr. Renner is an evolutionary biologist who is helping the world to figure out the evolutionary patterns of carnivorous plants and bombardier beetles. Tune in to learn all about her fascinating research!

Drosera rotundifolia by Tanya Renner 

Show notes for today's episode:

Check out the Renner Lab website-

https://sites.psu.edu/rennerlab/

If you are curious about carnivorous plants or want to grow your own here are some great resources provided by our guest:

For purchasing plants Dr. Renner says, "I’ve working with folks at California Carnivores (Peter D’Amato and Damon Collingsworth) for over a decade and I would highly recommend them. Also, Sarracenia Northwest (https://www.growcarnivorousplants.com/) has super nice pitcher plants. I haven’t been able to find a supplier on the east coast yet."

Go check those folks out!

Great books on growing carnivorous plants:

• Peter D’Amato's guide is great (Savage Garden)
• Barry Rice’s book 'Growing Carnivorous Plants': https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Carnivorous-Plants-Barry-Rice/dp/0881928070

Other good info guides/biology books on carnivorous plants:

• Donald Schnell’s 'Carnivorous Plants of the United States and Canada' is a great guide to our more local carnivorous plants: https://www.amazon.com/Carnivorous-Plants-United-States-Canada/dp/1604691085/ref=pd_sim_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W97YCJC6V6MX1G842G66
• 'The Curious World of Carnivorous Plants: : A Comprehensive Guide to Their Biology and Cultivation’ gives a nice overview: https://www.amazon.com/Curious-World-Carnivorous-Plants-Comprehensive/dp/0881927929/ref=pd_sim_14_9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W97YCJC6V6MX1G842G66
• 'Carnivorous Plants: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution' will be available for pre-order in February 2018. The book summarizes the latest research into the physiology, ecology, and evolution of carnivorous plants. A great number of scientists contributed to this monograph. I am the lead author for the genome chapter and contributing author for the biochemistry chapter: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/carnivorous-plants-9780198779841?cc=us&lang=en&#

The International Carnivorous Plant Society is a great resource for articles on how grow these plants, general biology, and conservation. The society publishes a quarterly newsletter, which includes scientific publications. http://www.carnivorousplants.org/

Photo by Tanya Renner

Questions? Comments? 

Follow the hosts on Twitter @JLarson_UNL, @JodyBugsmeUNL, and @MSkvarla36

Get the show through iTunes!

Subscribe to our feed on Feedburner!  

We're on Stitcher too! 

This episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beginning/ending theme: "There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Arthro-Pod at ESA 2017: Making Friends with Ask an Entomologist

Hey there bug lovers! Our final on the road production features Joe Ballenger and Nancy Miorelli of Ask an Entomologist. Tune in to hear about their amazing work and how it can help folks and also learn that scientists are people too with weird hobbies!

This is a road production so you will hear hotel noises and the jingle jangle of our name tags as we get animated!

Check out ask an entomologist at 

https://www.facebook.com/AskEntomologists/

or

https://askentomologists.com/

We look forward to teaming up with Ask an Entomologist again in the future!

Arthro-Pod Quickcast 2 from ESA 2017: Sheryl Hosler, The Roving Naturalist!

Hey there bug lovers we're coming at you from EntSoc2017 in Denver with another quick-cast! In this episode we meet up with Sheryl Hosler a.k.a The Roving Naturalist! We talk YouTube, how videos help with science communication, and bison poop! Be sure to tune in!

Subscribe to the Roving Naturalist! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdZqc1TlY7AF07n31GyfOqA

Arthro-Pod Quickcast from ESA 2017: Sarah Triplett of Butterfly Pavilion

Hey there bug lovers! We're coming at you from the Entomological Society of America National meeting in Denver, CO! We're trying to put together some "quickcasts" for all of you and our first one features Sarah Triplett of Butterfly Pavilion. Tune in to hear about zookeeping as a career and all the wonders that await you at Butterfly Pavilion!

Our first guest at ESA 2017!

Check out the Butterfly Pavilion and head to their website to learn more:
https://www.butterflies.org/