Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

Over the past year, we’ve explored a diversity of invertebrates, the threats they face, and the ways we can help support them. In this episode, we’ll take a closer look at invertebrate conservation—reflecting on this year’s successes and achievements, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. What victories can we celebrate, and which conservation efforts must continue? What obstacles do we, as invertebrate enthusiasts, still face?...

The State of the Butterflies in the United States project demonstrated that butterfly populations across the US are dramatically declining — they fell by more than 20% between the year 2000 and 2020. There are multiple causes, but one of them is the loss of caterpillar host plants. Getting more host plants into our neighborhoods and parks is essential — but what happens if those plants are contaminated by pesticides and they are to...

Given the name of our podcast, it is no surprise that we talk a lot about bugs, but in this episode, we are stretching our invertebrate muscles and looking at a group of invertebrates that we haven’t considered before—mountain snails! 

To help us learn more about these fascinating animals is Dr. Lusha Tronstad. Lusha is the Invertebrate Zoology Program Manager for the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database at the University of Wyoming. ...

We’ve all heard the familiar buzz of a bumble bee. Their fuzzy bodies fly around looking for pollen and nectar. But where do bumble bees nest? Where do they spend the winter? And how can we support this part of their lifecycle?

To talk with us about this topic is Genevieve Pugesek, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist. Jenny is one of the project managers of the Bumble Bee Atlas, a community science project aimed at trac...

Insects play a critical role in rivers, lakes, and streams, acting as a vital food source for many animals and maintaining the health of these freshwater ecosystems. A few of these insects include: mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. The bad news? They are in decline. The good news? There is something we can do about it. This is a new topic for us and one that we are excited to explore.

Joining us to dive into the aquatic world a...

We’ve spent some time on this podcast discussing pollinators and their life histories but today we are taking a deeper dive into plant chemistry to better understand the relationship between pollinators and their floral resources.

To help us explore this fascinating topic, is Leif Richardson, Xerces Endangered Species Conservation Biologist. Leif coordinates the California Bumble Bee Atlas project. His research focuses on the ecolog...

**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 ...

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 ...

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 Killingswor...

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 f...

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 un...

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 conser...

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 w...

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...

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 ...

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 Profes...

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 ...

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 sum...

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 Seni...