Can I Bug You‪?‬ UC Riverside

For critters that move in the night, how DO they get where they want to go? Why are moths attracted to the proverbial flame? Listen in and learn.

If you're a child of the 80s, you might remember Glow Bugs as "your goodnight friend." These facsimiles of fireflies evoke memories of magical summer nights. Contrary to public opinion, fireflies aren't flies, and we do actually have them here in Southern California. We bust these misconceptions on this episode of Can I Bug You?

Many in the western world think insects are a compelling, much more environmentally friendly alternative to raising cows and pigs. And bugs are already a staple on the plates of millions of people in parts of Asia and Africa. So, in this episode we're serving up entomophagy, aka eating bugs.

Earlier this month, a curator for the American Museum of Natural History was arrested at Istanbul Airport with some 1,500 dead scorpions, spiders and tarantulas in his luggage. Did he commit a crime? If not, aside from the unusual sight of so many dead bugs in a suitcase, why did police suspect that he did? We're talking about that, and biopiracy, on today's episode.

Ectoparasites like lice, fleas, mites, and ticks live on the outside of their hosts, causing chaos that ranges from intense itching to additional disease. Special guest Amy Murillo, assistant professor of entomology at UCR, talks about her research into ectoparasites that infect poultry, how "fitbits for chickens" can help control them, and whether they can affect people, too.

Billions of buzzing, beady-eyed insects are emerging in many states after spending 13 or in some cases, 17 years underground. Do they pose any danger? And why might their "butts" fall off? Tune in for answers.