First came The Beatles, and now, Noah Kahan fans have been talking about nothing but bugs for weeks because of his album The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs. It’s not the season of the sticks, yet, but it is indeed the season of these tiny critters. This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of insects. Get ready to be amazed by how cool bugs are and how they impact our world and everyday lives.

Yours in media,
Elizabeth He, Visual Communications Editor

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Bugs Do Amazing Things ...

With Appearance: Ladybugs Go from Goth to Glam

Ladybugs may be the cutest insects around, but they don’t start off that way. How do they transform?

With Smell: This Stick Insect Has a Secret Weapon

Check out how this clumsy vegetarian bug survives using a unique blend of chemistry and camouflage.

With Agility: World’s Fastest-Running Ant

Saharan silver ants don’t have the longest limbs, but they make up for it with a sprightly combination of fast pacing, light-footedness, and synchronized stepping that effectively turns their six legs into two. Run, ant, run!

With Rhythm: Do Bumble Bees Have Rhythm?

The Curiosity Desk talks about the state of bee research with behavioral ecologist Philip Starks from the Starks Lab at Tufts University. Learn if bees do, in fact, like jazz.

With Sound: Tiger Beetles Mimic Certain Sounds to Deter Bats

Tiger beetles generate “anti bat-sonar” to prevent echolocating bats from eating them. What sounds do they make?

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With Physical Adaptation: How Can Bugs Fly Through Rain?

Imagine the scale of raindrops if you were the size of a mosquito. Flying through a drizzle could be deadly! And yet it’s not, because nature has given them a superpower.

How Bugs Impact Our World

America’s Awesome Kids: Solomon from Maine

Meet Solomon, a bug enthusiast from Cumberland, Maine. From his daily ferry commute to school to catching lobsters on a friend’s boat, see how this bug-loving kid explores the natural beauty of Casco Bay.

Human Footprint: The Honey Trap

Investigate the future of bees, from honeybees to native species, in a changing world. Buzz! Buzz!

Doc World: The Guardians

A Mexican community must build a sustainable path for themselves and monarch butterflies. Journey through the butterfly-dense mountaintops of Michoacan.

Bugs That Rule the World: Beetlemania

Explore why these colorful and clever creatures have been called “the most important animal on Earth.”

Would You Try Eating Insects?

For at least 2 billion people on the planet, bugs are a source of nourishment.Learn more about edible insects and how they’re a solution to global food insecurity.

Dive further with NOVA’s Edible Insects and then watch Lidia Bastianich get into the action.

Woodsmith Shop: Pollinator House

Here’s how to build a tower bird feeder and a home for pollinators like bees and butterflies in your own backyard. Create a haven for the birds and the bees!

Recipe of the Week

A Cousin of Insects: Lobster!

Lobsters and insects are both part of the phylum Arthropoda. So, let’s make a great lobster roll!

Inspired by ... Bugs!

* Watch this ANTIQUES ROADSHOW appraisal of a Tiffany Favrile scarab beetle necklace, ca. 1916. 
* How did insects become part of science fiction? Find out how nuclear weapons, the suburbs, the Cold War, and the pest control industry all contributed to a beloved “big bug” film subgenre.
* On NPR’s Car Talk “Stink Bug” episode, Click and Clack solve a ’74 Volkswagen Bug problem. Punch buggy, no punch backs!
* Award-winning host and cartoonist Joe Wos teaches us how to draw a beautiful butterfly. Follow along!
* Cricket (the sport) is rising in popularity. Will it be the next big thing for U.S. kids?
* Sewing with Nancy goes to a “modern quilting bee.” Imagine thousands of quilt enthusiasts at a convention center. 

Dive Into America 250

The Revolution You Weren’t Taught

Before the American Revolution, a confederation of Native American nations led by Odawa chief Pontiac pushed back against the British empire. Learn about the resistance.

Off Topic

1. The Department of Agriculture’s Ice Cream Trail has around 115 locations across western Massachusetts. Figure out where you can get your next scoop!
2. GBH’s summer reading book bundles are back! Beat the heat this season by escaping into the pages of a good book.
3. The MBTA commuter rail is fare-free on Fridays this summer, so GBH Daily is sharing tips for where to go on your $0 day trip.