Bug Note Episode 11: The Weirdest Bugs
Most bugs follow a typical body plan: three distinct body regions (head, thorax, and abdomen), six legs, and two pairs of wings. But others are just downright strange. From critters that undergo complete metamorphosis to insects with odd protrusions on their heads, the bug world is full of the weird and wild. On this episode of Bug Note, host Daniel Potter chats with Christy Bills, NHMU’s Invertebrate Collections Manager, and Dr. Jason Cryan, NHMU’s Sarah B. George Executive Director and trained entomologist to explore these extraordinary invertebrates!
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Cryan studies some of the most bizarre, and in his words, “charismatic,” insects in the world. They’re called treehoppers, and they come in all sorts of strange body types. There are more than 3,200 species worldwide, and they’re found on every continent except Antarctica.
Treehoppers are most famous for the way the first part of their thorax has developed into enlarged, alien-like structures. This leads to some odd-looking body formations that some people find hard to believe. “People ask me all the time if they're photoshopped,” Cryan said, “and I swear to you, these are real.”
Lycoderes nathanieli
Cryan continues to describe one species that he discovered and named after his son. “It's called Lycoderes nathanieli. It is a bizarre little species from Ecuador. It's got this crazy shape on it that perhaps looks like a bit of a twig or a bit of bark. We don't really know what those shapes are for, but this one is absolutely alien.”
As for Bills, she’s fascinated by Embioptera, small insects commonly called “webspinners.”
Notoligotoma nitens. Brisbane QLD, Australia tjeales
Unlike spiders, which produce silk from their abdomens, webspinners produce silk from enlarged glands in their front legs.
They are found in tropical or sub-tropical environments, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see them on your next vacation. Webspinners are small, shy, and quick-moving insects. They spin silk tunnels under rocks, in dead wood, or in the dirt, protecting them and their eggs from predators.
Webspinners and treehoppers are just two types of strange-looking bugs, but they remind us of how weird and wonderful the world of bugs can be. To dive even deeper, watch the extended version of episode 11 below.
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About Bug Note
Bug Note is hosted by Daniel Potter, a science writer who's also worked in the world of public radio for many years, and who loves fresh air and storytime. He's joined by Dr. Jason Cryan, NHMU’s Sarah B. George Executive Director and trained entomologist, and Christy Bills, NHMU's Invertebrate Collections Manager, as well as other bug-loving guests. Video production by Blank Space. The podcast is created in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Utah, with the expertise and support of its scientific, philanthropic, marketing, and education teams. Special thanks to NHMU friend and insect enthusiast Ted Fridirici.
Authors
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By Olivia Barney
Olivia serves as NHMU’s Marketing Copywriter/Coordinator, where she collaborates across departments to craft engaging stories that help bring groundbreaking research projects to life. She might be the Oxford comma’s number one fan.
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By Jason Cryan, Ph.D.
Areas of Expertise • Museum administration and leadership • Evolutionary biology • Entomology • Plant-feeding insects of the Order Hemiptera • Planthoppers, spittlebugs, treehoppers Background Jason Cryan, Ph.D., serves as the fourth executive director of the Natural History Museum of Utah. With its rich, 50-year history as the most important natural history museum in America’s...
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By Christy Bills
Areas of Expertise • Insect collection curation • Science communication • Fireflies in the Western U.S. • Community Science Background Christy joined the Museum staff in 1998 and has been managing the invertebrate collections with the help of volunteers and interns ever since. Moving from 19th century technologies, she shepherded the collection from outdated housing to archival...
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By Dan Potter
Daniel Potter is a science writer and audio producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He's reported for Nashville Public Radio and KQED in San Francisco, and has appeared on Science Friday and PBS NewsHour. He's also written for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some of his writing appears in the 2023 book Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area.
