Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spend time in a garden and you’ll probably hear the buzzing of a bumble bee. These charismatic bees pollinate many of the foods and flowers that we love and, similar to other bees, their populations are in decline. Fortunately, there is a community science program to help us better understand the abundance and distribution of bumble bees across the US. To talk more about this we are joined today by Rich Hatfield. Rich is deeply involved with studying and protecting bumble bees in his role as a Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society. You may also remember Rich from a previous Bug Banter, when we had a conversation about honey bees. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Light pollution. Go outside at night and you’ll notice them — lights on buildings, in gardens, along streets, glowing on the horizon. It might not seem like much, but this is changing the world for animals that rely on darkness. Imagine evolving for millions of years with only the stars and moon and now being faced with a landscape full of additional light. What happens to insects when the night is full of light? Can fireflies coexist in urban areas? Are there things we can do to reduce our impact? Joining us today to talk about these and questions is Dr. Avalon Owens from the Rowland Institute at Harvard. Avalon received her Ph.D. in Biology from Tufts University in spring 2022, where she studied the impact of artificial light on bioluminescent fireflies. She also holds a B.A. in Integrative Biology from Harvard University and an M.S. in Entomology from National Taiwan University. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Fireflies. Just the word evokes for many people memories of summer evenings filled with magic and awe. From their flashy mating displays to their glowing larvae, these iconic insects have captured our hearts. Unfortunately, fireflies have started to disappear from the landscape. What is causing this decline and what can we do to help? Joining us this week to talk about incredible insects is Richard Joyce. Richard is an Endangered Species Conservation Biologist at the Xerces Society where he works with researchers and land managers to survey for and conserve fireflies, and coordinates many aspects of the Firefly Atlas, a nationwide community-science project. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

We’ve previously talked about overwintering monarchs seeking refuge in warmer climates, but what do other butterflies do during the winter? Do they also migrate? Do all butterflies overwinter as adults? If so, where do they hide — in leaves or rock piles or up in the trees? If not, how do they survive — what do these warm-loving butterflies do during the winter? To answer these questions and help us explore the world of wintering butterflies is Kevin Burls, Xerces Society Endangered Species Conservation Biologist. Kevin has spent several seasons searching for endemic and at-risk butterfly species in Nevada, and his work now focuses 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.

We are all familiar with beetles. Look around your home or neighborhood and you’ll find them, but how familiar are we? What makes a beetle a beetle? How many different species are there? What role do they play in our world? To help us explore the world of beetles is Jennifer Hopwood, who works for the Xerces Society as a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist – a job title that doesn’t really encompass all that she does. Yes, Jennifer provides advice and training for restoring and managing pollinator habitat in a variety of landscapes, but she also focuses on conserving other beneficial insects, including beetles. Jennifer has authored many articles and publications, and is a co-author of several books, including Farming with Native Beneficial Insects. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

No bee is as popular as the honey bee. When we think of a bee, many of us think of this charismatic social bee that lives in large colonies, does the wiggle dance, produces the honey we love, and pollinates many of our crops. Although honey bees can be found all over North America, they only arrived in the 17th century by way of European settlers. Aside from honey bees, in North America, thousands of native bees can be found on the landscape. We’ve all heard that bees are in decline. As a non-native species, are honey bees the answer to helping us “save the bees”? How do honey bees interact with our native bees on the landscape? Joining us to help answer these questions is Rich Hatfield. Rich is Xerces Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and Bumble Bee Conservation Lead, and manages all aspects of the Xerces Society’s work on bumble bees. This includes community science projects, as well as understanding the threats to bumble bees and actions we can take to protect them. Rich has studied the factors that impact bumble bees, including the presence of honey bees in our landscapes. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Last month we met with Isis Howard to talk about western monarch populations and community science. Today, we are going to talk about monarchs east of the Rockies. From their overwintering sites to their multi-generational migration, and the stops along the way, we will take a deeper look at the journey of the monarch. To lead us on this discussion is Dr.Ray Moranz, Xerces Grazing Lands Pollinator Ecologist, Partner Biologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Central National Technology Support Center. One focus of his work is to assist in the planning and implementation of monarch butterfly conservation efforts in the south central U.S. Ray has also studied the effects of fire and grazing on prairie plants and butterfly communities. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

The word “endangered” is widely used when talking about rare animals in news reports, conservation campaigns, TV documentaries, and more. Sometimes being endangered is seen as a benefit, other times as a bad thing — but what does it mean? As with so many things, what lies behind the word “endangered” is more complicated than what meets the eye, and the word is not always used correctly, which can lead to confusion. Are honey bees endangered? No, there are millions of hives. Is the rusty patched bumble bee endangered? Yes, it is protected under the Endangered Species Act. What about the monarch butterfly? Probably, but not officially — and if they are protected, they may be classified as “threatened” — and is that at the federal or state level (or maybe internationally)? Are you confused yet? Today, to talk about endangered species and help untangle this topic, we are joined by Sarina Jepsen, the Director of the Endangered Species Program at the Xerces Society. Sarina joined Xerces in 2006, since when she has worked on the conservation of diverse at-risk (there’s another term to explain!) invertebrate species, including bees, butterflies, tiger beetles, fireflies, and freshwater mussels. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

There are not many insects as well-known, and as well-loved, as the monarch butterfly. Monarchs are characterized by their beautiful bright colors and their awe-inspiring migration. Unfortunately, monarch populations have been in decline for many years — but have you ever wondered how we know that? Tracking and estimating the population of any animal is tricky, even big ones like bears and eagles. How do you do it for an insect that moves across North America? Today, to help answer these questions, we are joined by Isis Howard, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society. Isis works to protect the monarch butterfly in the western states and manages several community science projects, including the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, New Year's Count, and the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Insects - who needs em? We do! We’ve all heard that insects are in decline. From bumble bees to monarch butterflies to fireflies, people are noticing fewer insects on the landscape. Should we be alarmed that invertebrates are disappearing from our planet? The answer is yes, and while this is the start of a grim tale, there is hope. In understanding the impact and cause of decline, collectively, we can change the outcome of the story. But we need your help. Join us as we discuss this topic with Scott Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society. Scott is also an internationally renowned conservationist who has been at the forefront of the conservation movement for three decades. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Have you heard of solitary ground-nesting bees? Yes? No? Either way, this podcast is for you! Unlike honey bees or bumble bees that live in colonies, solitary bees do it alone and interestingly, most of them nest underground. Although they are common, widespread, and almost certainly living in your neighborhood and at times literally under your feet, most people know very little about them. To help us explore the world of these fascinating bees is native bee expert, Leif Richardson. Leif works for the Xerces Society where he coordinates the California Bumble Bee Atlas and although his work focuses on bumble bees, Leif knows a great deal about this lesser-known group of bees. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

The word Xerces often confuses people. What does it mean and where does the name Xerces come from? Join us on this short podcast to introduce the organization that works to save insects and other invertebrates - the Xerces Society. Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.