An entomologist ordered a mescal, and then got curious

NPR | By Gabriel J. Sánchez

Published May 31, 2026 at 5:11 PM EDT

An entomologist researched the worms used in mescal to better understand the relationship between the creatures and specific agave plants - and the danger if harvesting increases.

Gabriel J. Sánchez

Gabriel J. Sánchez is a producer for NPR's All Things Considered. Sánchez identifies stories, books guests, and produces what you hear on air. Sánchez also directs All Things Considered on Saturdays and Sundays.

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

After a Memorial Day break, Congress returns to the same problems they left behind

Eric McDaniel, Adrian Florido

Congress returns to town with the same problems they left before Memorial Day: immigration funding, opposition to a new Justice Department fund, and questions about Iran war oversight.
NPR News

How aid cuts are hampering the frontline response to the Ebola crisis

Adrian Florido, Henry Larson, Sarah Robbins

Aid workers in Uganda are watching the Ebola crisis unfold in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. They're doing what they can to prepare for an uptick in cases, but foreign aid cuts aren't helping.
What China's absence from a key defense summit means for regional security in Asia

Jennifer Pak

At an Asian defense summit, the U.S. called on other countries to increase military spending. China didn't even send its defense minister.
What immigrant stories in movies teach us about the American dream

Marc Rivers, Adrian Florido, Ryan Benk, Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

On this week's Cineplexity, we explore what movies about immigrants teach us about life in America. What movies get the story right? What do they get wrong? And what stories are left untold?
NPR News

The terrifying day the U.S.-Iran war reached a sleepy Sri Lankan town

Diaa Hadid

A deadly strike during the first days of the Iran war hit far away in the Indian Ocean, jolting a quiet seaside town and showing how far the conflict's reach extends.