Episodes
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Many of us likely have childhood memories of a zoo visit: gibbons swinging above us, lions pacing, a polar bear taking a plunge. Zoos also can play an important role in conservation, particularly for insects. One example is the work done at the San Diego Zoo to help invertebrates by solving mysteries about their habitat and life cycle needs, in some cases bringing back species on the brink of extinction.
Joining us to talk about this work is Paige Howorth. Paige leads the Entomology Department at the San Diego Zoo, where she is involved with the day-to-day care of dozens of species of insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates in the zoo’s collection, as well as leading conservation programs for rare species. In addition, Paige serves on the steering committee of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Terrestrial Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group and co-leads the AZA SAFE (save animals from extinction) program for the North American monarch butterfly. She’s also been a collaborator with Xerces for many years.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Community science is critical to conservation efforts and the Bumble Bee Atlas is no exception. Volunteers across the country have contributed to the Atlas program through bumble bee surveys, providing crucial information on bumble bee abundance and distribution. This information informs conservation efforts and makes a real difference.
To tell us more about the Bumble Bee Atlas are two of our newest Atlas coordinators, Amy Dolan and Michelle Toshack. Between them they cover much of the Rocky Mountain and intermountain regions. Amy coordinates the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Amy has a master’s degree in entomology from Montana State University, where she studied bumble bees, and has a background in science education. Michelle covers Montana, and has a masters in biological sciences from Simon Fraser University, where she researched pollinator biodiversity and the impacts of farming practices on bumble bees. She has a background in field biology and managing community science projects.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Missing episodes?
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When we see a dragonfly, we normally see adults, which are capable of impressive aerobatics and have astonishing eyesight. Yet these fearsome aerial predators began life underwater, and when they undergo the transformation from nymph to adult they also change from water to air. Dragonflies truly are amazing!
Joining us to talk about these incredible animals is Dr. Jessica Ware from the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where she is an Associate Curator and the current Division Chair in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology. Jessica’s research focuses on the evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations in insects, with an emphasis on how these occur in dragonflies and their close relatives, damselflies. Her research group uses genetics to study the evolutionary relationships between species and uses these tools to inform their work on reproductive, social, and flight behaviors in insects.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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We all love a success story and what better tale to tell than the one about the Fender’s blue? Once thought extinct, this butterfly was rediscovered 35 years ago, since when it has made a comeback thanks to hard work by dedicated scientists, land owners, agency staff, and many others.
To tell us this story of hope, we are joined today by two people whose long-time collaboration has been central to this success. Cheryl Schultz is a Professor at Washington State University in Vancouver, where she studies the ecology of at-risk species, particularly butterflies of the PNW prairies. Mikki Collins works for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and is currently the Willamette Valley Recovery Coordinator.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Moths are largely creatures of the night, which means they may not get as much publicity as their day-flying relative, butterflies. Moths are more diverse than butterflies, probably more abundant, and most certainly play a key role in the natural world. Honestly, moths are some of the coolest insects and we are excited to highlight them in today’s episode.
Joining us to talk about moths is Dr. David Wagner, an entomologist and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on the biosystematics of moths and invertebrate conservation. That means he doesn’t only work to understand how moths relate to each other, but also how they interact with the outside world, the threats they face, and how we can work to protect them. He is the author of several books, including Caterpillars of Eastern North America, which won a National Outdoor Book Award in 2006 and is now an app for phones, so you can take Dave’s wisdom with you wherever you go.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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October 12th is World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year's theme for the campaign is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds,” underscoring the importance of invertebrates to migratory birds. Xerces is also, for the first time, an official partner in World Migratory Bird Day, so we are focusing this episode on the intersection between birds and bugs.
To talk about this incredibly important relationship we are joined by Chris Elphick, Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, where he is also affiliated with the university’s Center of Biological Risk. Chris is a conservation biologist, an applied ecologist, or an ornithologist, depending on his mood (his words, not mine). His research interests span behavioral, population, community, and landscape ecology.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Join us for part two of our exciting conversation on spiders with Sebastian Echeverri, Communications Specialist in Science & Digital Media for the Xerces Society.
Sebastian completed his PhD, studying why and how paradise jumping spiders get their audience's attention when pulling off their fanciest dance moves. He has also written a field guide for spiders and has a collection of pet arachnids.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Spiders. There is a lot that people don't know about these interesting creatures. What makes them unique and what role do they play in our environment?
Joining us today to talk about spiders, is Sebastian Echeverri, Communications Specialist in Science & Digital Media for the Xerces Society. Sebastian completed his PhD, studying why and how paradise jumping spiders get their audience's attention when pulling off their fanciest dance moves. He has also written a field guide for spiders and has a collection of pet arachnids.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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An important element in the success of pollinator conservation efforts is communities of passionate people taking action. Today we will highlight one Xerces Society program that is helping people to do just that, Bee City USA. Established in 2012, Bee City has been uniting communities around a shared goal of creating meaningful change for pollinators through policy change, habitat creation, and education.
To tell us about this wonderful program is Laura Rost, National Coordinator of Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA. Laura has been with the Xerces Society since 2014, first working in Membership, before transitioning into this role. Before Xerces, she worked for a variety of environmental groups on issues ranging from instream water rights to green building.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Wasps. That word alone may make you squirm. They aren’t fluffy and cute like their close relatives bees and don’t have the best reputation, but they do play an important role in our environment. It seems like they need a PR makeover.
Joining us to do just that are Jennifer Hopwood and Rae Powers. They both work at the Xerces Society, and coincidentally, both live in Nebraska. Jennifer is a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, and has been on Bug Banter before to talk about beetles. Rae is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist and NRCS Partner Biologist.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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We’ve all heard about climate change. It’s a rather complicated issue. One that has come up several times in this podcast as we discuss the threats facing invertebrates. So in this episode, we will focus on what we can expect as our climate changes and what that means for our pollinators. And of course, what actions you can take to help these important insects in the face of climate change.
Joining us to talk about this issue is Angela Laws, Xerces Society Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and Climate Change Lead. Her role at the Xerces Society involves incorporating climate resiliency into pollinator restoration projects. Angela has over 15 years of experience studying arthropods in grassland habitats, including studies of how climate change can affect species interactions.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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In this episode of Bug Banter, we are closing out our series on butterflies by exploring those found in the Rockies. From prairies to mountain tops, the Rockies are made up of a diversity of ecosystems varying in altitude and temperature.
To learn more about these amazing creatures, we are joined by Steve Armstead, a Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the Xerces Society who has a particular focus on Nature-Based Climate Solutions. Steve is based in Colorado, where he partners on efforts to manage and create high-quality, connected, climate-resilient pollinator habitat.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Happy Pollinator Week! In this episode, we are joined by Kass Urban-Mead, Rich Hatfield, and Mace Vaughan for this special Q&A session on bees. You might recognize Kass and Rich from previous podcast episodes, but they are joined by a new face, Mace Vaughan.
All three of our guests are colleagues of ours at the Xerces Society. Kass is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist & NRCS Partner Biologist in the Mid-Atlantic; Rich is a Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist & the Bumble Bee Conservation Lead; and Mace is the Pollinator and Ag Biodiversity Program Director.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Continuing with our series on butterflies, we are highlighting the butterflies east of the Rockies, which is a huge area and encompasses so many different environments — prairies in the Great Plains and the Midwest; forests of New England and the Southeast; mountains of the Appalachians; the wetlands and beaches of the Atlantic and the Gulf coasts.
To try and cover all of these, we are joined by Ray Moranz, who you may remember from episode six, when he talked about the monarch, a butterfly that could be found in any of those areas. Ray is a pollinator conservation specialist and NRCS partner biologist with the Xerces Society, and has spent many years studying butterfly and plant communities across the US.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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We often hear about monarch butterflies, but there are many other species of butterflies in North America. So we are kicking off a series of three podcasts to highlight butterflies in different regions of the US and today we are focusing on butterflies west of the Rockies!
Joining us is butterfly expert and Xerces Society Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Kevin’s Burls. Kevin's efforts with the Xerces Society focus on protecting the hundreds of butterfly species that inhabit deserts, forests, and grasslands across the western United States.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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It was Jimmie Durante who first came up with the rhyme, “spring is sprung, the grass is riz; I wonder where them boidies is?” Of course, spring also means the return of insects — bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and yes, mosquitoes — and here at the Xerces Society we start getting questions about what to do about these pesky critters. Does spraying help? Does spraying harm other insects? What are the alternatives and do they work?
To explore the topic of mosquitoes, we are joined today by Aaron Anderson. Aaron is a Pesticide Program Specialist at Xerces and works with communities across the country, as well as Xerces staff, to reduce pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting non-pesticide approaches to landscape care and pollinator-friendly gardening practices.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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As humans, we often think of the world through the lens of daylight - when we are most active. But at night, an entire world of insects comes to life and we are missing out!
To help us explore these nocturnal creatures is Emily May, Pollinator Conservation Specialist on our Pesticide team at Xerces. You might recognize Emily from our last episode, as a special guest co-host.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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Tired of mowing your law? We have good news - you don’t have to, and the bees (and fritillary butterflies) will thank you for it! Mowing your lawn less frequently can provide habitat for pollinators, especially in early spring. But, is that enough? What can we do to turn No Mow May into meaningful conservation of pollinators and other wildlife?
Joining us to talk about the trendy No Mow May Campaign is Bug Banter co-host Matthew Shepherd. Matthew has been with the Xerces Society for a quarter century, working on pollinator conservation in towns and cities. We are also joined by special guest co-host Emily May, Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Specialist.Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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In this episode of Bug Banter, we are going underwater to highlight an invertebrate that isn’t an insect — the freshwater mussel. These animals may not be well-known but are powerhouses in our freshwater ecosystems, playing a critical role in our lakes and rivers.
We’re joined today by not only one but two guests! — Emilie Blevins and Jack Fetters, who are both conservation biologists on the Endangered Species team at the Xerces Society. Emilie serves as the lead on all freshwater mussel conservation work and Jack serves as a specialist on western freshwater mussel conservation work at Xerces.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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For many of us, if we were asked to describe a place that is good for bees, I suspect that we’d talk about somewhere that is open, sunny, and full of flowers — a garden, meadow, prairie, or hedgerow, maybe. The chances are that forests wouldn’t be high on that list. However, forests provide important resources for bees.
In this episode, we are joined by Kass Urban-Mead to talk about forests and bees. Kass works for the Xerces Society as a pollinator conservation specialist and NRCS Partner Biologist based in Philadelphia. From there, she collaborates with communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions to plan, design, install, and manage habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. She also climbed a lot of trees to study bees while completing her PhD at Cornell.
Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.
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