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 so...
Feb 04, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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 ...
Jan 21, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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 Rosem...
Jan 07, 2025•36 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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 a...
Dec 17, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 32
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 Mo...
Dec 03, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 31
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 Chai...
Nov 19, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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 ...
Nov 05, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 Co...
Oct 15, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 imp...
Oct 01, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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....
Sep 17, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 ha...
Sep 03, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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...
Aug 20, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 24
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 ...
Aug 06, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 Biologi...
Jul 16, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 22
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 ...
Jul 02, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 Bum...
Jun 21, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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...
Jun 18, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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, fo...
Jun 04, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 18
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 A...
May 21, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 17
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.
May 07, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 16
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 ce...
Apr 23, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 15
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 conserv...
Apr 09, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 14
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 Biolo...
Mar 26, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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 S...
Mar 05, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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 impa...
Feb 20, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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 work...
Feb 06, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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 Cons...
Jan 23, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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 po...
Jan 09, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 8
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-na...
Dec 19, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7
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...
Dec 05, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 6
