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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Photo: Ray Moranz/The Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

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. 

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Photo: Angela Laws/The Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Photo: Stephanie McKnight/Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

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. 

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Photo: Portland Corps; CC BY 2.0 Deed Attribution 2.0 Generic; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

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.

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.

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.

Bees, butterflies, beetles — populations of almost any group of insects you can name seem to be falling. But how do we know they are falling, how can we find out how well insects are doing? Monitoring is an essential tool for understanding the abundance and distribution of species, as well as how they respond to conservation efforts.

To explore this further, we are talking with Matt Forister, professor of biology and insect ecology in the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has studied butterflies and other insects in the western US for the last 20 years, and has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters on issues that include insects adapting to exotic plants and butterflies responding to a changing climate. Matt is also a long-time scientific advisor to the Xerces Society and our staff have undertaken several research projects with his lab.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

In one of our first episodes we spoke with Sarina Jepsen, the director of our Endangered Species team, about what it means for a species to be federally listed, specifically through the Endangered Species Act. However, species can also be listed through individual states, but not all states are the same, and some states don’t have legislation to protect insects. It is an interesting story!

Joining us to talk about the importance of a state’s authority to protect insects are Kevin Burls and Rosemary Malfi. As Xerces’ Director of Conservation Policy, Rosemary supports and advocates for policy solutions at the local, state, and federal levels that promote the health and conservation of invertebrate species. Presently, Rosemary is leading Xerces’ campaign to pass legislation to define insects as wildlife in states where they are omitted from this definition under the law. Rosemary holds a Doctorate in environmental sciences with a background in native pollinator protection and pesticide policy reform.

Kevin is one of Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologists. His work includes collaborating with land managers and scientists to understand the conservation needs of butterfly species, then advocating for their protection by crafting conservation guidelines and legislation with agencies and policy makers at the regional, state, and federal levels. Kevin holds a Doctorate in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology with a background in western butterflies and other native pollinators, and science education.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

The monarch butterfly is popular and currently in the news a lot. You might think that we know all there is to know about it, but there are many mysteries remaining, particularly about their migration and how they use their habitat. This may be more so for the western population that overwinters in California. Radio tracking has long been used for studying the movement and habitat use of bigger animals. Advances in this technology mean it is emerging as a tool that can provide scientists with some answers about tiny animals too.

To explore how radio tracking — also called radio telemetry — can be used with monarchs, we are joined by Ashley Fisher. Ashley is an endangered species conservation biologist and a monarch overwintering specialist with the Xerces Society. Based near the overwintering sites in California, Ashley manages Xerces’ overwintering habitat database and helps facilitate research projects, working with Xerces partnering organizations and universities. She also works with local land managers in communities along the central coast of California to provide guidance on the management and restoration of overwintering sites.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA, is tasked with regulating pesticides to protect people and the environment from their impacts. To test these impacts, the EPA uses honey bees. This might seem reasonable, but the honey bee is not native to North America and its social colony structure is unique and not representative of the thousands of native species of bees in the United States. The reliance on the honey bee for testing has profound implications for the safety of our native bees and other pollinators, given their vastly different life histories.

Joining us to cover this topic are Aimee Code from the Xerces Society and Sharmeen Morrison from Earthjustice. Aimee is Xerces’s pesticide program director. She and her staff evaluate the risks of pesticides, develop technical guidance, and advocate for actions that reduce reliance on and risks of pesticide use in both urban and agricultural settings. Sharmeen is a senior associate attorney with Earthjustice’s Biodiversity Defense Program, which engages in national litigation to confront the major drivers of biodiversity loss. In this role, she has worked to protect manatees in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, golden-cheeked warblers in Texas Hill Country, and insect pollinators nationwide. Together, Aimee and Sharmeen are working to change how the EPA regulates pesticides.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

More than ever, communicating scientific information effectively is critical to conservation efforts. But how exactly do we do that? 

To explore this topic is award-winning science communicator and entomologist, Gwen Pearson. In addition to her work writing for WIRED Magazine, Highlights For Kids, and other science news outlets, she's run an insect zoo and worked as an Extension Entomologist in various roles. She's now retired and is an Outreach Ambassador for the Xerces Society.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Earthworms. They may elicit memories of digging through the dirt, probably as a child, and picking them up to discover what they are. But what do they do other than slink around and bury themselves in the soil?

To help us explore this fascinating invertebrate are Jennifer Hopwood and Stephanie Frischie. Regular listeners will remember Jennifer — she’s been on Bug Banter before to talk about beetles and wasps. She is a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist with Xerces, providing resources and training for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat management and restoration in a variety of landscapes. Stephanie is Xerces’s Agronomist and Native Plant Materials Specialist. Stephanie works to improve the supply and growth of important plant species for the restoration of insect habitat. Additionally, and most pertinent to today’s conversation, she leads the Xerces Soil Life project that focuses on soil invertebrate ecology and soil health.

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Photo credit: S Shepherd Schizoform, CC 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Who doesn’t know the high-pitched whine of a nearby mosquito? We know they can be a nuisance, and in many regions, a health risk because of their ability to spread diseases. Some communities do public control campaigns, and increasingly, companies are offering home spraying of yards. But, the insecticides used in these sprays are broadly toxic to insects, and the risk they pose to pollinators isn't fully understood. In the summer of 2023, Xerces did a study looking at how these insecticides spread across the landscape. 

Joining us to talk about the study is Aaron Anderson, who has been a member of Xerces’ pesticide reduction team for a couple of years. Aaron’s work focuses on reducing pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting alternative pest-control measures and pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Prior to joining Xerces, he researched pollinator conservation in urban landscapes, restored habitat for several endangered butterfly species, and worked in insect biocontrol. If that wasn’t cool enough, Aaron has been on Bug Banter before, also talking about mosquitoes.

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 Photo: Woodland Mosquito-Katja Schulz-Flickr CC

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Flies are amazing insects that play critical roles in our environment including pollination, waste disposal, pest control, and as a link in the food web. Flies are greatly diverse in colors, shape, size, and where they live. Butterflies and bees probably generate more enthusiasm, but it’s time to change that. 

To talk about flies with us, we are joined by Dr. Erica McAlister, who works at the Natural History Museum in London, where she is the principal curator for Diptera and Siphonaptera, i.e., flies and fleas. Erica takes a particular interest in three groups of flies, fungus gnats, assassin flies, and mosquitoes. The latter means that inevitably she is involved with many projects related to identification of mosquitoes and which ones are associated with spread of malaria and other diseases and viruses, but her experience is much broader, including teaching entomology in Dominica and studying the invertebrates — more specifically, the flies — of that island. Finally, Erica is also the award-winning author of four books, including The Secret Life of Flies and The Inside Out of Flies.

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Cover Photo: Whitney Cranshaw - Bugwood CC - Tachinid fly (Trichopoda pennipes) 

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Prairies are an ecosystem that historically spanned the center of this continent from the Rocky Mountains to east of the Mississippi and from Texas north to Saskatchewan. Although less than 5% of that prairie remains today, it is critical habitat for a number of invertebrates. Prairies are incredibly diverse and hold many exciting stories.

To help us explore prairies and their critters is prairie ecologist Chris Helzer. Chris works for the Nature Conservancy as the Director of Science and Stewardship in Nebraska, where, among other things, he supervises TNC’s work on the Platte River Prairies and the Niobrara Valley Preserve. Chris also works to raise awareness about the value of prairies and prairie conservation through his photography, writing, and presentations. Chris is the author of The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States and Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter.

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Photo: Justin Meissen/Flickr-CC

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Most of the natural world has been altered by humans in some way. Ecosystems that are dominated by humans or man-made structures, such as cities, can still provide meaningful and essential habitat for insects. Today, we are going to discuss research being done in various human-dominated landscapes to answer the question: how do we restore and conserve insects in these ecosystems?

We are joined by Dr. Chelse Prather, Associate Professor and Environmental Biology Coordinator at the University of Dayton. As an ecologist, Chelse has worked with insect communities in forests, grasslands, and urban ecosystems. She has managed a variety of projects from understanding basic insect ecology, like what nutrients limit insect communities, to very applied projects, such as how the installation of solar arrays affects insect communities.

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Photo by Matthew Shepherd

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Creating habitats with native plants is one of the most impactful ways to help invertebrates. One of the programs at Xerces is helping people do just that by providing free Habitat Kits to communities in several regions of the US.

Joining us to discuss our Habitat Kit Program is Giovanni Di Franco, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist and Pollinator Habitat Specialist. Gio is working to develop the habitat kit program in southern California, especially in the greater Los Angeles area. 

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Photo: Nancy Kirchhoff

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

In the face of insect decline, it is critical for us to understand pollinator health both in terms of influencing factors and how to monitor those impacts. Today we are specifically focusing on bees.

To talk about some exciting research in this field is Dr. Laura (la-u-ra) Figueroa (fig-eh-row-ah). Laura is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Conservation Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was previously a National Science Foundation post-doctoral research fellow, and completed her PhD in entomology at Cornell University. Laura is broadly interested in insect conservation, with a focus on the health of pollinators in changing landscapes and the impacts of climate change. She has worked in temperate regions (primarily the Northeastern US) as well as in the tropics (in Costa Rica and in Colombia), and her active research program seeks to answer pressing questions in the field of pollinator conservation.

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Photo: Sara Morris / CC BY-NC 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

One of the most effective ways to contribute to pollinator conservation is to provide the essential components of pollinator habitat. To celebrate Pollinator Week, we invited a panel of Xerces experts to help us answer audience questions in this special Bug Banter Live episode. 

Bernardo Niño is a pollinator conservation specialist with Xerces Food Systems and Living Farms Project in California. Steve Armstead is a pollinator conservation and nature-based climate solutions specialist in Colorado. Emily May is the agricultural conservation lead with the Xerces pesticide reduction program. Kevin Burls is an endangered species conservation biologist in the western United States. 

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Cover photo: Emily May

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

I’m sure it’s not surprising to hear that butterflies are in decline, but the speed at which it is happening may be. Butterflies are being lost at a rate of 1.3% per year, which means more than one-fifth have disappeared over a 20-year period. These are just a couple of the alarming statistics that emerged from the work of the State of the Butterflies in the United States working group. The group was comprised of scientists from universities, agencies, and the Xerces Society. Their findings have been published in academic journals, including Science. Building on this, Xerces has just released State of the Butterflies in the United States, a report authored by members of the working group that presents a picture of the status of butterflies and offers a vision for how we can reverse the declines.

To talk with us about the report and what we need to do are Scott Black and Cheryl Shultz. Scott is the executive director of the Xerces Society. His work has resulted in the protection and restoration of habitat on millions of acres of rangelands, forests, and farmland, as well as protection for many endangered species. Cheryl is a professor at Washington State University Vancouver, where she studies the ecology of at-risk species, particularly butterflies of the PNW prairies. Cheryl also is a long-time scientific advisor to the Xerces Society. 

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Photo credit: Candace Fallon/Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Co-host Matthew Shepherd came from Britain, a country known for its hedgerows. He grew up surrounded by hedges, sometimes many centuries old, crisscrossing the countryside. Early in Matthew's career he helped plant, maintain, and restore miles of hedgerows and got to see up close the wealth of wildlife that live in them. When he moved to America, he was struck by the lack of hedgerows, their place in the landscape frequently filled by barbed wire or other types of fencing. He is very happy to know that this is changing and that there is a movement in this country toward planting hedgerows for their beauty, wildlife value, and economic benefits.

Joining Matthew in this episode is someone who has been at the forefront of this effort for a decade and a half. Jessa Kay Cruz is a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the Xerces Society in a region covering California and the Intermountain West. Since joining Xerces in 2008, Jessa has worked in agricultural and natural lands to create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and to promote practices that support them. She provides education and technical support to a range of individuals and agencies, including farmers and ranchers, agricultural professionals, and land managers.

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Cover Photo: Sarah Foltz Jordan/Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

How are native bee species in the US doing in light of the major threats they are facing? What more do we need to know to protect them? There are over 3,600 species of native bees in the United States, but we only know the conservation status (i.e., how well they are doing) of about 20% of them. This makes it difficult to make decisions about how to prioritize bee conservation. 

Joining us to discuss this problem is Saff Killingsworth, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist. Saff coordinates the State of the Bees initiative, working with researchers and land managers to assess the status of wild bees in the western U.S. and address their conservation needs. She also works to advance conservation of butterflies and fireflies in Arizona. 

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Photo: az3/Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

In this episode, we will be taking a closer look at the monarch butterfly, but we won’t be talking about milkweed or nectar plants, or the migration and overwintering sites – at least, not directly. No, our focus is on pesticides and monarchs. Are pesticides a particular concern for monarch butterflies? What are the consequences of pesticide contamination to their habitat? What can we do to provide pesticide-free habitat?

To answer these questions we welcome back Emily May, Agricultural Conservation Lead with the Xerces Pesticide Reduction Program. Emily works with farmers, researchers, conservation professionals, and agencies across the U.S. to reduce pesticide risks to pollinators and other beneficial insects, support the adoption of ecologically sound pest-management practices, and expand high-quality habitat in working lands. She also supports Xerces’ staff by providing technical expertise that helps guide resources, outreach, and policy efforts.

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Photo: Stephanie McKnight/Xerces Society

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

**Correction: The study described in this episode states that the total number of insects emerging from a square meter was 18,000. The correct number is 1,800.

Leave the leaves has become something of a rallying cry and discussion topic in recent years. When the weather starts to cool and leaves begin to fall, we’re presented with a valuable wildlife and gardening resource — but also something of a headache. Do I keep them all? Can I mulch them? Won’t they kill my lawn? What about pests? How do I keep my HOA happy?

Joining us to take a deeper dive into a pile of leaves, how they help insects, and how to manage them is Max Ferlauto, state entomologist with the Maryland Natural Heritage Program, where he is in charge of rare insect conservation. Before that, Max was undertaking research for his PhD at the University of Maryland, where he studied the impact of leaves (and leaf removal) on insects in gardens as well as on soil health.

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Photo: Steven Severinghaus/Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.