Episode notes
Today we’re talking about insects (and two spiders) in space: how bugs became the first astronauts, what happens to a spider web when there’s no “up” or “down,” and why the future Moon base might sound just a little bit… buzzy. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by Leo Iwamura
Podcast
Insects for Fun!
insectsforfun · Tech & Science · English
A bite-sized informational podcast covering all things insect and arthropod, hosted by a master in entomology! Join me every week to learn something new, from notable species to broad topics and lore! You can support the show and get extra episodes here: patreon.com/user?u=46499107 Email: Insectsf
More from Insects for Fun! All episodes →
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E157 · 9 Feb 2026 · 13 min
Insects That Shouldn’t Exist: Life on the Edge of Survival!
In this episode of Insects for Fun, we investigate species that survive conditions that seem lethal—freezing solid, near-total dehydration, oxygen starvation, and dangerously small, isolated populations. These insects persist through unique physiological tricks and extreme life-history strategies. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by Blue…
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E156 · 2 Feb 2026 · 12 min
Thorn Bugs! Masters of Masquerade
This episode explores thorn bugs (treehoppers), tiny true bugs that mimic plant parts with exaggerated pronotums—spines, horns, and crests—that make them look like thorns, seed pods, or broken twigs. You’ll learn about their unusual anatomy, incomplete metamorphosis, communal nymphs, maternal care, and mutualisms with ants that protect them in exchange for honeydew. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email:…
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E155 · 26 Jan 2026 · 12 min
Termite Skyscrapers & Ant Metropolises: Nature’s Ultimate Architects
Learn how passive ventilation, honeycomb geometry, pheromone traffic systems, and other insect strategies inspire human architects and engineers through biomimicry. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6
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E154 · 16 Jan 2026 · 10 min
This fly can eat dragonflies!? (Robberflies)
Robber flies don’t chase crumbs or nectar. They hunt other insects in midair, inject them with venom, and drain them like juice boxes. If there were an apex predator category for flies, robber flies would be sitting comfortably at the top. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by Leo Iwamura
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E153 · 5 Jan 2026 · 12 min
Huntsman Spiders! (you might want to keep these around)
Today we’re heading back into spider territory, specifically, the ones responsible for at least 50% of all “NOPE” reactions in Australian garages. Huntsman spiders are amazing predators that not only contend for the largest spiders in the world but are also incredibly fast. But what happens when they enter your home? Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6
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E151 · 8 Dec 2025 · 8 min
Plume Moths: Tiny, T-Shaped, and Totally Underrated!
On this episode of Insects for Fun, we’re going to explore a tiny creature whose wings are divided like fans, who stands in a perfect T-pose long before video games made it cool, and who might be hiding—right now—somewhere in your garden or even in your house. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by Leo Iwamura
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E150 · 1 Dec 2025 · 9 min
The weird world of water fleas!
This week is a listener request from someone over on YouTube, and I'm really glad it came in! Water fleas are incredible and incredibly tiny organisms that have a lot of really quirky tricks and traits. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by: Kei Kawaguchi and Masaki Tomiyama
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E149 · 25 Nov 2025 · 12 min
Insect plagues and how they start! (NOT the black plague)
This week, we dive into some plague insects and talk about how regular insects can turn into natural disasters. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by: Toshiki Hayashi
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E148 · 17 Nov 2025 · 9 min
Hummingbird Moths!
This week's topic was chosen from Patreon, and it's a fun one! Learn all about hummingbird moths and how they compare to the real birds. We go into the physics of hovering flight, the art of mimicry, and the strange evolutionary story that led a humble moth to master the sky like a bird. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by: Toshiki Hayashi
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E147 · 10 Nov 2025 · 10 min
The hidden lives of Honeypot Ants!
Today we turn our attention to Honeypot Ants, specifically those in the genera Myrmecocystus and Camponotus. These ants in particular are famous for their incredible resilience to desert climates and strange survival strategies. Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsectsforFun IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: [email protected] Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6 Music by: Lofi Geek
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