Insects for Fun!

This week we're tackling one of the most misunderstood insects in the world — the cranefly. You probably know them as daddy longlegs, mosquito hawks, or that thing that's been bouncing off your ceiling for the past twenty minutes, but almost everything you think you know about them is probably wrong. We'll bust the big myths, dig into the surprisingly fascinating life happening beneath your lawn, and meet the one man who spent 71 years naming most of the 15,700 known species. 

 

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 Sea-no

Explore the world of dragon-headed katydids (genus Lesina), canopy-dwelling insects that mimic dried leaves and thorny growths with dramatic, dragon-like heads and powerful mandibles. This episode covers their appearance, nocturnal behavior, diet, and unique camouflaging wings and body shapes.

 

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

Explore the eerie world of internal insect dwellers in this episode of Insects for Fun. From the twisted-wing Strepsiptera that spend their entire lives inside hosts to the tiny thread-footed mites of the Tarsinemidae family inhabiting tracheae, reproductive tissues, and hidden body spaces, discover how these organisms blur the line between parasite and roommate.

 

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: S N U G

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 Wednesday.

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: [email protected] 

Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6