Alert! Alert! This is a time sensitive episode!  The new year monarch count is nearly upon us, and if you want to get involved, now is the time! www.westernmonarchcount.org Whether or not you are geographically able to count the monarch, I'm sure you'd love to learn more about one of our most charismatic invertebrates. The monarch butterfly is a migratory butterfly; well-documented, and surely one of the public-facing wonders of the insect world. In this episode, we learn all about the monarch, from its fascinating relationship with plants, to the ways that colonialism has impacted anc ..read more

What on earth's an alvar? In this episode, you can find out! After all, the alvar is heaving with incredible spiders. In this episode, you can discover precisely what an alvar is, and learn about the spiders that live in such a place. We consider what it means to study a place with reference to animals, and vice versa. Jillian Suh-Kurovsky Legris joins Tom to share her alvar expertise, rhapsodise about spiders, and consider the challenges and pleasures of studying the small and oft-ignored ..read more

 Whats going on with these jellyfish then? What are they, and what are they up to? In this episode, Tom is joined by jellyfish scientist Bailey Steinworth to wrestle with the challenge of the jellyfish. How much sense can we make of a gelatinous and translucent animal? What is it doing, why is it doing it, and what does it feel like to live the jellyfish lifestyle? We discuss all things jellyfish, and touch on the judgements and hierarchies that we foist upon the natural world, as well as exploring with greater depth Bailey's study species: Cassiopea, the upside down jellyfish.  ..read more

Microscropic laughs are lurking in the green. Come and discover tardigrades, rotifers, nematodes and more with Andy Chandler-Grevatt, educator and man-of-moss. We discover 'the big 5' of the moss world, think about life at a wholly different scale and sit in a gentle awe as we consider quite how much is going io, close at hand yet out of sight.  ..read more

In this episode, we look at how our attitudes towards invertebrates can change. Tom is joined by podcaster Ellen Weatherford from Just The Zoo Of Us to examine what it means to learn about invertebrate life, and how that process of learning changes our outlook on the world at large. What does it take to become an invertebrate fan in adulthood? And what changes in your parenting as your feelings our scuttling pals changes? All this, plus Tom mentions Army Men for the PS1 as part of a broader discussion around our relationships with the natural world.  ..read more

For too long have adult insects hogged the spotlight, with their flash wings and ostentatious sexual maturity. At long last, its time for the larval forms to creep into the spotlight. Tom chats with Dr Erica McAlister, entomologist, author and senior curator at the National History Museum in London about maggots (and other larval diptera). What is there to know about maggots? Hods! Come discover their wriggly world.  ..read more

If you like pagentry, ferocity and excellent eyesight then I have the spider for you (though personally, my eyesight is very poor). Tom is joined by Dr Sebastian Echeverri, arachnologist, science communicator and host of the BBC Earth podcast, to learn about jumping spiders. We explore all that makes the jumping spider special, including the aspects of Salticidae lifestyle which are curiously relatable. Plus, extensive discussion of what it means to care about invertebrates, and their relative obscurity within popular understanding despite their overwhelming presence within the animal kingdom ..read more

How many cockroaches are in YOUR house? Tom is joined by cockroach keeper, zoologist and science communicator Melinda Alexáné Babits to discuss cockroaches, and to discover what its like to immerse yourself in the cockroach world. What leads someone to a life in which the cockroach is a cherished thing, an animal whose company is valued, not just out of a scientific interest, but because they are interesting and exciting? What does it mean to care for cockroaches, and what makes the cockroach such a rewarding companion? Find Melinda and her cockroaches online: https://linktr.ee/Blattarium ..read more

Given that throughout history, writers have sought to make bee society into a reflection of our own, lets see how well that reflection holds up. In the episode, Tom is joined by Graham Duke and Ali Hood from Rex Factor, to see how well the queen bee holds up when held to the standards by which we have historically judged monarchs. Finally we can answer the question: does the Queen Bee have the Rex Factor? We look over some old natural history texts, examining the errors and misrepresentations made in giving an account of bee society, throughout previous centuries, and discover the moments in w ..read more

Come and literally grub in the filth, as we discover the earthworms. Tom chats with Anna de la Vega, founder of The Urban Worm, about the crucial work that our wriggling pals, the earthworms, perform within the soil. We discover the etymology of worm, examine their behaviour on rainy days, and discover the complexities of earthworms which are not often readily apparent.  If you want to learn more about worm farming, or if you want to #wormup then you can go to www.theurbanworm.co.uk for information and to apply for a 100g pack of tiger worms for your own worm farm ..read more