Talking Bugs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Talking Bugs

Erfan Vafaie

Science

Education

Science

Frequency: 1 episode/49d. Total Eps: 9

The field of entomology is incredibly vast, with professionals focusing on viruses vectored by the deadliest animal (mosquitoes), academics studying the mechanisms of freeze tolerance, government researchers tackling insects that could pose biosecurity threats, and forensic entomologists arriving at the crime scene. In this series, learn a bit more about who these entomologists are, what inspired them to get into the field, and discuss some of their most recent research.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇺🇸 USA - naturalSciences
11/06/2026
#95
🇺🇸 USA - naturalSciences
22/05/2026
#100
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
30/04/2026
#77
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
29/04/2026
#65
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
28/04/2026
#51
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
16/02/2026
#89
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
15/02/2026
#72
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
14/02/2026
#50
🇬🇧 Great Britain - naturalSciences
13/02/2026
#29

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://www.sfu.ca/
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 63%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

Biological Control with Dr. Gerben Messelink, Wageningen University

Season 2 · Episode 1

Tuesday, June 22, 2021 • Duration 44:43

Dr. Messelink is a Special Professor in Biological Pest Control in Greenhouse Production Systems and Senior Research Entomologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has an extensive background in conducting research using predators and parasitic wasps to manage common pests in greenhouse production.

We discuss one of his recent publications looking at using a generalist predator to manage two key pests (whiteflies and thrips) on gerberas.

Leman et al. (2020). The omnivorous predator Macrolophus pygmaeus, a good candidate for the control of both greenhouse whitefly and poinsettia thrips on gerbera plants. Insect Science, 27: 510 - 518.

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 7. Dr. Anjel Helms, Chemical Cues in Plant Defenses

Season 1 · Episode 7

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 • Duration 46:15

Dr. Helms investigates questions regarding chemical cues between predators, herbivores, and their plants, and how their interact both below and above-ground. In this interview, we learn more about a specific study that looked at how chemical cues from a below-ground predator could potentially 'prime' plant defenses against above-ground herbivores.

For the full study, check out:

Helms, A. M., S. Ray, N. L. Matulis, M. C. Kuzemchak, W. Grisales, J. F. Tooker, and J. G. Ali. 2019. Chemical cues linked to risk: Cues from below-ground natural enemies enhance plant defences and influence herbivore behaviour and performance. Funct. Ecol. 33: 798–808.

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 6. Dr. Juliana Rangel, Swarm Intelligence

Season 1 · Episode 6

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 • Duration 57:47

Dr. Juliana Rangel is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University. Her research lab focuses their work on honey bee health, studying subjects such as bee viruses, pesticide residues in bee wax, and honey bee nutrition.

For the full research article:

Payne, A. N., T. F. Shepherd, and J. Rangel. 2020. The detection of honey bee (Apis mellifera)-associated viruses in ants. Sci. Rep. 10: 1–8.

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 5: Dr. Patrick Rydzak: High-resolution melting

Season 1 · Episode 5

Tuesday, August 11, 2020 • Duration 51:02

Dr. Rydzak currently works for the F.B.I. He made his way there through studying plant viruses that are vectored by insects. In this episode, we learn about what motivated Dr. Rydzak, how he learned about opportunities to work for the F.B.I., and his recent research that used a combination of multiplex PCR and high-resolution melting to discriminate between several viruses found in cereals.

Watch the full interview at: https://youtu.be/XzcbryqQuSs

Research Publication:

Rydzak, P., Ochoa Corona, F.M., Whitfield, A.E., Wayadande, A.C., 2020. Combining multiplex PCR and high-resolution melting for the detection and discrimination of arthropod transmitted viruses of cereals. J. Virol. Methods 278, 113823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.113823

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 4: Dr. Astri Wayadande: Electropenetrography

Season 1 · Episode 4

Tuesday, July 28, 2020 • Duration 41:08

Dr. Astri Wayadande is known for her work in our understanding of insect feeding. Using a technique referred to as electrical penetration graph or electropenetrography, sucking insects are integrated into a low-voltage circuit. Upon feeding, the insect completes the circuit and different electrical signal patterns indicate different types of feeding behavior.

Watch the full interview at: https://youtu.be/1DiA9pUOr-Q

Research article:

Wayadande, A.C., E.A. Backus, B.H. Noden, T. Ebert and J. Hillyer. 2020. Waveforms from Stylet Probing of the Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Measured by AC-DC Electropenetrography. J. Med. Entomol. 57:353–368.

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 3: Dr. Brent Sinclair: Insect Cold Tolerance (Pt. 2)

Season 1 · Episode 3

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 • Duration 37:03

In this second part, we learn about a recent publication exploring a new potential organism for studying freeze tolerance. Dr. Brent Sinclair is known for his research in low and high temperature tolerance of arthropods, such as fruit flies and crickets. Some insects can tolerate being completely frozen and thawing out alive, whereas others cannot. This is the second part of a two-part episode with Dr. Sinclair.

Watch the video interview at: https://youtu.be/tfX570tQooE

Toxopeus, J., A.H. McKinnon, T. Štětina, K.F. Turnbull and B.J. Sinclair. 2019. Laboratory acclimation to autumn-like conditions induces freeze tolerance in the spring field cricket Gryllus veletis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J. Insect Physiol. 113:9–16.

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 2: Dr. Brent Sinclair: Insect Cold Tolerance (Pt. 1)

Season 1 · Episode 2

Tuesday, June 30, 2020 • Duration 42:58

Dr. Brent Sinclair is known for his research in low and high temperature tolerance of arthropods, such as fruit flies and crickets. Some insects can tolerate being completely frozen and thawing out alive, whereas others cannot. Dr. Sinclair shares some of his stories during his early career as a graduate student and postdoc. This is the first part of a two-part episode with Dr. Sinclair.

Watch the video interview at: https://youtu.be/vnoyovW-nXw

Read moreCollapse

Ep. 1: Dr. Jenny Cory - Insect Pathogens

Season 1 · Episode 1

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 • Duration 26:46

Dr. Jenny Cory is a Professor and Thelma Finlayson Chair in Biological Control at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. She is also the Director of the Masters in Pest Management Program; a research-based masters that has slightly more numerous and focused coursework in the area of integrated pest management.

We have an interesting conversation about insect viruses and how they may relate to the current global pandemic (SARS-CoV-2).

Citation for the scientific paper discussed:

Redman, E.M., K. Wilson and J.S. Cory. 2016. Trade-offs and mixed infections in an obligate-killing insect pathogen. J. Anim. Ecol. 85:1200–1209.

Read moreCollapse

Intro: Talking Bugs Trailer

Season 1

Tuesday, May 26, 2020 • Duration 01:23

Insects are some of the most important organisms impacting humans every day; from the deadliest animals (mosquitoes) to those eating our agricultural crops. They also have several incredibly fascinating characteristics that we can learn from, such as freeze tolerance and swarm intelligence.

Every episode, I will interview a new entomologist to learn about how they became entomologists and discuss some of their most recent research. Episodes will be released every two weeks through all major podcast distributors and videocasts pushed to YouTube at this playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCYwYzl9aZxrkNsFf2yGPXx50Jv1unWFp

Read moreCollapse

Talking Bugs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Talking Bugs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Youtube5

Other5

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Youtube5

Other5

PubMed3