Essays on Invertebrate Conservation

WINGS ESSAYS ON INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

THE XERCES SOCIETY FALL 2012 CONTENTS

Over the next year or so, we will be making a series of changes to Wings, which we hope will add to your enjoyment of the magazine. In this issue we introduce a new feature, an opening editorial comment from the Xerces Society’s executive director.

Happy Birthday, Silent Spring Scott Hoffman Black Page 3.

Life at the Speed of Light Eric Mader Flashing fireflies lighting up the summer night have been an integral part of childhood—and beyond—for generations. Conservationists are becoming concerned that the magic may be dimming. Page 5.

Six-Legged Sojourns: Insect-Based Recreation and Tourism Raynald Harvey Lemelin Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, bees: these might seem unlikely tourist attractions, but insects are at the center of a growing range of recreational interests. Page 11.

An Obsession with Odonata Celeste Mazzacano Agile fliers, dragonflies can be found around almost any patch of water. These bold- ly colored invertebrates are a joy to watch, and new research into their seasonal movements offers the opportunity for citizen participation. Page 16.

Neonicotinoids in Your Garden Jennifer Hopwood and Matthew Shepherd Gardens provide many benefits, from a place for relaxation to habitat for wild creatures. How one cares for a garden, and particularly the nature of any insecticides one may use, can have a great influence on its value for wildlife.Page 22.

Xerces News Xerces secures its first $1 million grant; a thank-you to Whole Foods Market and its vendors; bumble bee conservation guidelines; Dragonflies of America, Xerces’ 2013 calendar; presenting migratory dragonfly short courses from coast to coast; and protecting Pacific Northwest butterflies and their habitat. Page 28.

WINGS Happy Birthday, Silent Spring

Scott Hoffman Black

This fall sees two important anniver- sage. They first tried to portray her as an saries for environmental protection. It “hysterical woman,” and when that did is fifty years since Silent Spring was first not work they tried to discredit the sci- published and forty since the U.S. Clean ence upon which Silent Spring was based. Water Act was signed into law. They even went so far as to pull advertis- Rarely does a book have as large an ing from news programming where the impact on society as that which Silent book was being discussed. Spring has had. Rachel Carson’s book Both Carson and her book weath- examined the harmful effects of the ered the criticisms: Silent Spring came to unrestricted use of chemical pesticides. the attention of millions of Americans, Initially released as a series of articles and became a catalyst for change. The in the New Yorker magazine during the Kennedy administration ordered a fed- summer of 1962, Silent Spring was pub- eral investigation of Rachel Carson’s lished as a single volume in September claims, which resulted in big changes in of that year. the government regulation of toxic pol- Silent Spring was derided by people lutants. Silent Spring led to the banning in the chemical industry and they spent of DDT and, some say, to the creation a considerable amount of effort trying to of the U.S. Environmental Protection stop people from hearing Carson’s mes- Agency.

Half a century after the publication of Silent Spring and the consequent introduction of government regulation of toxic chemicals, nectar-feeding insects are still threatened by the widespread use of insecticides. Southern dogface butterfly Zerene( cesonia), photographed by Bryan E. Reynolds.

FALL 2012 The Clean Water Act may have re- often more pesticides per acre than on ceived less public acclaim than Silent farms—all in the quest for unblemished Spring, but it has been no less influential lawns or aphid-free roses. over the health of the country’s lakes, In setting safety levels for pesticides, rivers, and streams, as well as its coastal the government considers not only tox- waters. The Act was signed into law forty icity but also the economic benefits, pit- years ago in response to a public that ting agricultural production against the was starting to understand the impact impacts on humans and wildlife. We of chemical pollutants on their lives. At have banned certain pesticides, such as that time, industrial waste and untreat- DDT, but often have replaced them with ed sewage were routinely dumped with- narrow-spectrum pesticides of even out concern. Two-thirds of U.S. lakes, higher toxicity. For example, one emerg- rivers, and coastal waters were unsafe for ing concern is over a class of insecti- fishing or swimming. The poor health cides called “neonicotinoids,” which of the nation’s rivers was dramatically il- many people have linked to honey bee lustrated by well-documented accounts die-offs. The Xerces Society recently re- of some that burst into flames! The Act leased a report that details negative im- was intended to change this, and di- pacts of neonicotinoids on pollinators. rected the EPA to evaluate, restore, and Many neonicotinoid pesticides are sold maintain the chemical, physical, and to homeowners for use on lawns and biological integrity of U.S. waters. gardens; they lack any mention of the As with Silent Spring, the Clean risks to bees, and the manufacturer-rec- Water Act encountered resistance from ommended application rates are up to powerful business interests, but since it 120 times as high as rates approved for was enacted, fish have returned to many agricultural crops. As Vice President Al rivers that were once all but lifeless. Of Gore said in his introduction to the 1994 course, not many people talk about how edition of Silent Spring, “The legal, regu- this law has benefited the invertebrates latory, and political system has failed to at the base of the food chain, but you respond adequately.” can imagine that the return of fish is in- Both Silent Spring and the Clean timately wrapped up with the recovery Water Act have had enduring lega- of invertebrate food sources. cies, although unfortunately, neither Unfortunately, despite all the ac- has been wholly successful at curbing tions taken because of Silent Spring and chemical pollution. In the last chapter Clean Water Act regulations, the use of of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson makes an toxic pesticides has actually gone up. analogy to Robert Frost’s famous poem Pesticide use on farms alone has dou- “The Road Not Taken,” but points out bled, to 1.1 billion pounds a year. Tens that, unlike the roads in the poem, our of thousands of acres of public lands choice has wide-ranging consequences. are sprayed each year to control native One fork is “deceptively easy,” but “at grasshoppers, often with little regard the end lies disaster”; the other “offers for the presence of other insects or water our last, our only chance to reach a des- bodies. We also use millions of pounds tination that assures the preservation of of pesticides in our parks and gardens— our Earth.” Which road will you take?

WINGS Life at the Speed of Light

Eric Mader

Those of us lucky enough to have lived years, yet lends itself to such modern among fireflies have been conscious, medical breakthroughs as advanced at one time or another, of the sense of screening tests for cancer and cystic mystery they add to our lives. Moments fibrosis. They stalk the damp, weedy that might otherwise be totally forget- undergrowth of contemporary human table seem to take on a deeper resonance landscapes, but do so in a world of when they happen against the imper- mowing machines, insecticides, street manent display of fireflies living out lights, and changing weather patterns. their own complex life cycles, plainly How long they will continue to flash is visible through that improbable flash a question that more and more people of light. have begun to ask. In those flashes fireflies live and die. Fireflies are neither flies, nor, as the They find a mate, use mimicry and de- alternate common name “lightning ceit to kill, and confound attempts by bug” might suggest, true bugs. Rather, human scientists to understand them. they belong to the beetle family Lam- Their flashing pre-dates the existence of pyridae, comprising five subfamilies humans by more than twenty million that include roughly two thousand

Catching fireflies and watching their seemingly magical flashing has been a part of childhood for millions of people. Photograph by Steven David Johnson.

FALL 2012 Most research into fireflies has focused on their ability to flash; we know little about the natural history of some species. Eastern fireflyPhotinus ( pyralis); photograph copyright iStockphoto/harmonia101. species worldwide, primarily in Eu- year. Spectacular mass emergences, rope, Asia, and the Americas. There are with tens of thousands of individuals around two hundred species in North flashing in unison, are sometimes re- America. ported in the jungles of the Philippines For all that we do know about fire- and Malaysia, and in the Great Smoky flies, it is striking that we actually know Mountains of the United States. very little. Widespread nocturnal spe- During their adult lives fireflies will cies have attracted the most scientific at- find mates and reproduce. Females lay tention, but research has focused largely their eggs in the soil, typically under the on bioluminescence chemistry rather protective cover of thick forest leaf litter, than ecology. Diurnal species, which decaying logs, or grassy thatch. The lar- lack light-producing organs as adults, vae hatch days to weeks later, and patrol have been largely overlooked. the undergrowth for soft-bodied prey. What is known is that fireflies tend Slugs and snails are a well-documented to be most associated with humid grass- preferred food resource, making these lands and forests. A number of the most predatory larvae important for farm and well-known species also rely on stream garden pest control. sides and wetland edges for habitat, As larvae, nearly all firefly species damp places that support plenty of generate a weak greenish glow from a prey. A few species in Asia are even fully “photic” light-producing organ in their aquatic, breathing through tracheal abdomens, likely as a warning to their gills and lurking on the bottoms of rice own predators that they have protective paddies. chemicals in their bodies that render Firefly adults of any given species them toxic. Among diurnal species, this tend to emerge at the same time each light-producing organ is lost during the

WINGS transformation to adulthood, although ties between species, requiring dissec- the chemical defenses may or may not tion and an examination of the internal remain. organs to reach reliable species-level This is the standard narrative about identification. the ecology of fireflies, based upon scant A more basic approach to firefly observations by the few people who identification, though, is simply to have tried to follow them. The truth is, watch them flash. For more than a centu- however, that, for most firefly species, ry it has been recognized that the adult how and where they live the majority of flashing represents a kind of courtship their non-flashing lives remains a mys- behavior. Understand the flashing, and tery. Even basic field monitoring is often perhaps you could understand which challenged by close physical similari- species is doing it: this was the discovery

Male fireflies flash on and off as they fly, with each species having a distinctive pattern to the color, frequency, and sequence of its flashes. Time-lapse photograph of fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains by Judd Patterson.

FALL 2012 of Frank McDermott, a self-taught Dela- fireflies several groups produce a collec- ware entomologist, who, in 1911, recog- tion of steroids called “lucibufagins,” nized that among American fireflies, the and species in the genus Photinus be- color, frequency, and sequence of flashes long to one of these groups. For the are unique to individual species. Simply most part, predators such as birds seem by watching and learning the various to quickly taste lucibufagins—which are flash patterns, a person could identify present in the blood of some fireflies at distant fireflies to species level across a high concentrations—and immediately meadow. At least, this was the case with reject them as a possible food, often by male fireflies. simply vomiting them up. Spiders and Female fireflies, on the other hand, other predators with highly developed did not seem to exhibit any differences chemical receptors usually avoid them in their flash patterns. Perched on tall altogether. blades of grass or on low-hanging tree Which brings us back to the Photur branches, female fireflies respond to is females, who, as it turns out, cannot the elaborate flashing of males flying produce their own lucibufagin chemi- in their vicinity with a single, solitary, cal defense. Rather, by attracting Pho identical flash. How could a male firefly tinus males with some simple trickery identify a female of his own kind? and consuming them, they are able to Enter Dr. James Lloyd of the Univer- acquire their own blood concentrations sity of Florida, who in the 1960s cracked of lucibufagins, and, perhaps more im- the code with the discovery that, while portant, they can also bequeath their females do respond with just a single eggs a protective dose. flash, those of different species time While lucibufagins are important that response differently relative to the in the ecology of lampyrids, two other male’s flash pattern: females wait for a chemicals, luciferin, a light-emitting certain precise duration before respond- biological pigment, and the enzyme ing to a male’s signal. By measuring that luciferase have been the focus of much response time, a careful observer can greater scientific attention. (Although recognize the female’s identity. not chemically related, these three com- Or so it would seem. pounds share the root word lucifer, from Females of the genus Photuris con- the Latin word for “light-bringing.”) found this type of simple response-time In fireflies, both luciferin and lucif- identification by often mimicking the erase are present in the photic organ on flash timing of females in the genus the underside of the abdomen. To gen- Photinus. Through this mimicry Photu erate light, these combine with oxygen ris females are able to lure unsuspect- (carried to the photic organ through ing Photinus males, whom they kill and tracheae, abdominal breathing tubes) to consume. Photuris females can switch emit a photon—an elementary particle response patterns, either to find a suit- of light. After the reaction, the various able mate of their own species or to cap- component parts revert to their origi- ture Photinus prey. nal state, allowing the firefly to flash And those Photinus males aren’t again and again while exerting almost simply a handy late-night meal. Among no energy.

WINGS In flight, the luminescent segments of a male firefly’s abdomen are clearly exposed. Females will flash their response from a perch on vegetation. Com- mon eastern fireflyPhotinus ( pyralis), photographed by Terry Priest.

The light produced is accompanied ferin and luciferase injected into cancer by virtually no heat, with more than cells, for example, medical research- 90 percent of the chemical reaction ers have been able to track the growth released as light. While the chemical of tumors using specialized cameras, a process is well understood, uncertainty preferable alternative to more-invasive remains about how the fireflies actually biopsies. Related research combines the control the flashing. Most researchers bioluminescent imaging of cancer cells speculate that they control the oxygen with the treatment of those same cells intake of their tracheae —their breath- by chemical agents that render them ing, as it were —to initiate the reaction light-sensitive; the goal is to cause the process. cancer cells to self-destruct by making In addition to the quiet awe that them both simultaneously light-pro- bioluminescence typically inspires in ducing and susceptible to death by light anyone seeing it, the fireflies’ flash is also exposure. This new technology in effect the foundation of new medical imaging helps the body generate its own light technology to track the progression of within internal malignancies that ex- disease in humans. Using firefly luci ternal light sources cannot penetrate.

FALL 2012 Bioluminescent imaging is increas- tell you that they simply do not appear ingly being used to track other infec- in the numbers that they used to. But, tious diseases, to track hormone produc- from a global perspective, how can any- tion in the body, and even to monitor for one really know? the presence of disease-causing bacteria Certainly, like other wildlife, fire- in food products. And bioluminescence flies have confronted an unprecedented technology is now being proposed for a loss of habitat worldwide since the In- dizzying array of serious and not-so-se- dustrial Revolution and the correspond- rious purposes, from genetically altered ing industrialization of agriculture. In glow-in-the-dark trees that could replace the United States, such native firefly streetlights, to biotech potato crops that habitats as the eastern tallgrass prairie glow when they need water, to lumines- and eastern hardwood forests have been cent pet rabbits. Each of these uses raises largely converted to other land uses. complex and far-reaching questions. Land not already paved over or cultivat- One such question has been sim- ed for crops—lawns and roadside verges, ply how to meet the growing demand for instance—is often subject to mowing for raw luciferin and luciferase. Until and insecticide spraying. The former recently most of this demand was met reduces habitat for breeding, while the by pharmaceutical companies paying toxic residues of the latter may harm bounties on wild-collected fireflies, pri- fireflies either directly, or, by reducing marily in rural Appalachian communi- populations of their prey, indirectly. ties. No one is certain what the ecologi- Along with these somewhat obvi- cal toll of these collections may have ous threats, the effects of light pollu- been, but local newspaper stories from tion and climate change raise additional as recently as the 1990s describe people concerns. If you require darkness to find making up to $3,000 in a single season a mate, and you have a life history that is on fireflies (with the insects priced at a closely linked to stable annual weather penny apiece). cycles, the world may increasingly seem Researchers now know how to arti- to be a less hospitable place. As with so ficially synthesize the luminescent pro- much surrounding fireflies, we under- teins, and organized firefly collecting is stand only part of their story and the no longer publicly advertised, although specific challenges they face. For how several pharmaceutical supply compa- much they contribute to human sci- nies still offer pure firefly-derived chem- ence—and for the sense of wonder that icals, as well as whole preserved fireflies they bring to our world —it’s a shame for sale. Where these specimens come that their last great mystery could be the from is neither publicly known nor le- question of their own survival. gally regulated. All of this leads us to the greatest firefly mystery of all: from a conserva- Eric Mader is the assistant director of the tion standpoint, just how are they doing Xerces Society’s pollinator program, and is in the world today? Anecdotally, their an assistant professor of extension in the numbers are down. Ask anyone who University of Minnesota’s Department of grew up around fireflies and they will Entomology.

10 WINGS Six-Legged Sojourns: Insect-Based Recreation and Tourism

Raynald Harvey Lemelin

People are often surprised when they insects by visiting live flight displays. I hear about my research into human in- also note that while, yes, polar bears are teractions with insects in recreational “cool” predators, on the evolutionary and tourism settings. Some have even scale dragonflies are way cooler; among said that this type of research is so the earth’s oldest and most efficient strange that I should stick to polar bears, predators, dragonflies have been flying another of my scientific interests. While and capturing prey for millions of years, I am no longer surprised by such com- long before the first bear ever appeared. ments, I usually point out that our con- In addition to my research interests, nections to insects are much closer than my family’s recreation activities often most people think, with millions of en- center on insects. Along with partici- thusiasts raising bees as a hobby, keep- pating in insect surveys, hosting two in- ing insects as pets, transforming their sect symposiums, and providing native yards with butterfly gardens or dragon- plants for insects in our yard, we have fly ponds, or deliberately seeking out raised several generations of monarch

Insects hold an increasingly significant place in recreation and art. Bumble bee sculpture at the Eden Project in southwest England, photographed by Colin Boylett.

FALL 2012 11 (Danaus plexippus) and American lady travelers, after all, go to great means to (Vanessa virginiensis) butterflies. Now my avoid such insects as cockroaches, mos- engagement with insects and recreation quitoes, and bed bugs. But the figures has been taken to a new level by the pro- suggest otherwise: each year millions of cess of editing a book, The Role of Insects people around the world visit hundreds in Recreation and Tourism, to be pub- of insectariums and butterfly pavilions, lished by Cambridge University Press attend dozens of insect-based festivals in early 2013. This work has revealed to and special events, and volunteer for me that the field of human-insect inter- citizen-science projects dedicated to in- actions is large and diversified. For the sects. For example, crowds greater than sake of clarity, I will focus here on the two hundred thousand flocked to Pesti- current popularity of three charismatic val (described on its web site as “a mobile micro-faunas — bees, dragonflies, and arts festival examining insect-human butterflies —although our infatuation interactivity”) in 2009, when its last with insects goes back a long time and major event was held at London’s South- extends to virtually all insect groups. bank Centre. The glow-worm caves of Insects have provided inspiration Australia and New Zealand are a desti- to all manner of people over the centu- nation for sixty-three thousand visitors ries. Napoleon Bonaparte, for example, each year, a number that Michael Hall, replaced the fleur-de-Lys with bees as a one of the leading figures in tourism re- symbol of France. In literature, Alfred search, suggests is comparable to whale- Lord Tennyson’s poems feature insect watching operations in Hervey Bay, Aus- references, and Sylvia Plath and Ted tralia. In Japan, it is estimated that there Hughes exchanged a series of poems are at least three hundred thousand fans about honey bees. Nikolai Rimsky- of beetle breeding who spend millions Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee is of dollars on insects, special events, and probably the best-known insect-inspired entomological accessories. Closer to musical composition, and Vincent van home, thousands of visitors travel each Gogh and Pablo Picasso both included year to rural areas in North America to insects in some works. Today, fabric mo- watch fireflies. And countless gardeners tifs, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, furni- have collectively spent millions of dol- ture, household items, toys, and tattoos lars modifying their home landscapes often incorporate insects. In science to create insect habitat, and planting and engineering, ornithopters (radio- flowers to attract butterflies and other controlled aircraft with flapping wings) pollinators. mimic dragonflies, and, as early as the Bees have become the focus of vaca- 1970s, the CIA created an “insectothop- tion trips, including visits to zoos, pol- ter,” a life-sized robotic dragonfly. Even linator parks, and beekeeping museums architects have been influenced: termite throughout North and South America, mounds inspired the exoskeletal sky- Europe, and Australia. Tourists journey scraper designed for the South Korean to the Sundarbans forest (straddling the city of Cheongju. border between India and Bangladesh) The link between insects and lei- to spend time with Mowali honey gath- sure may at first glance appear dubious; erers, or to Nepal to join the Rai on their

12 WINGS Live butterfly displays have become popular attractions in many places; this one is in Singapore’s Changi Airport. Photograph copyright iStockphoto/tc397. excursions in search of the honey of the skills. In other countries, people may giant honey bee (Apis dorsata). One of enjoy dragonflies more as a part of the the most famous tourism destinations natural landscape. Visitors to Wicken to feature bees may be the Royal York Fen National Nature Reserve in Cam- Hotel in Toronto, Canada. Here, guests bridgeshire, England, have opportuni- learn about the art of beekeeping and ties to see and learn about these insects, get a chance to taste specialty dishes, while the National Botanical Gardens tea, and cocktails featuring honey from in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, has the hotel’s rooftop hives. trails dedicated to dragonfly awareness. As with beetles, fascination with Despite the ecological importance dragonflies as a pastime is probably most of bees and the attraction of dragonflies, developed in Japan. With hundreds of the most popular insects throughout dragonfly ponds and numerous sanc- much of Western society are, without tuaries, including the Honmoku Citi- question, butterflies. Apart from being zens Park in Yokohama, the Dragonfly showcased in hundreds of butterfly pa- Kingdom in Nakamura (the world’s first vilions, gardeners willingly invite them dragonfly nature preserve and museum), into their flower beds. and the Conservation Area at Okegaya- Huge numbers of butterfly enthusi- numa, Japanese enthusiasts have the op- asts travel the world in order to see and portunity to practice and perfect their otherwise interact with these animals.

FALL 2012 13 Rearing butterflies is a valuable industry, but needs to be carefully managed to minimize the spread of disease. Photograph copyright iStockphoto/LordRunar.

Taiwan attracts more than half a million people living with Alzheimer’s disease. visitors annually to enjoy the country’s Even dead butterflies are valued; framed natural bounty of butterflies. The Sierra displays of tropical species can be pur- Madre Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, chased in many home decor stores in home to monarch butterfly overwinter- North America. Studies indicate that ing aggregations, gets a quarter of a mil- worldwide retail sales of butterflies lion visitors (as many visitors as are at- alone may be as high as $100 million an- tracted by the charismatic koalas at the nually, employing thousands of people Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, in developed and developing nations Australia). The threatened Karkloof blue alike. (It should be noted that commer- (Orachrysops ariadne), found in KwaZulu- cial rearing and interstate shipping of Natal, is featured prominently (complete butterflies for release at weddings and with a Karkloof blue logo) in tourist itin- other events may result in the spread of eraries for southern Africa. diseases and is to be discouraged.) Butterflies are also used for thera- Despite the large and growing inter- peutic purposes. In the butterfly gar- est, relatively few researchers have exam- dens of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, children ined the human dimensions of human- affected by that country’s civil war are insect interactions in a recreational set- provided with opportunities to inter- ting. There are various reasons, though, act with and learn about butterflies why it is important to document them. through play, music, and art activities. First, such research provides quantifi- Similar therapeutic approaches involv- able evidence that these interactions ing butterfly gardens have been used for are not simply limited to a few eccentric

14 WINGS individuals. Indeed, as my own efforts of learning about insects and encourag- illustrate, this is a multi-million-dollar ing our interactions with them, but we industry involving thousands of em- should also recognize that engagement ployees and millions of visitors, as well with insects and hands-on education as tens of thousands of enthusiasts in begins in our own yards and neighbor- their own gardens and neighborhoods. hoods. By integrating insects into recre- Second, such large, conspicuous, color- ational activities, we can foster among ful, and mostly diurnal insects as bees, both young and old a recognition of beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies are their diversity and adaptability. Curios- excellent candidates for conservation ity and openness toward these creatures strategies, interpretive presentations, can create a positive cycle of change, and public education (although the ap- leading to greater respect for insects and peal of “creepie-crawlies” has also been increased appreciation for the invalu- successfully promoted in educational able services they perform. programs). Third, this type of research is valuable in helping to overcome the negative stereotypes often associated Dr. Raynald Harvey Lemelin is an asso with insects — and also to convince ciate professor in the School of Outdoor managers and decision makers that not Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lake all human encounters with insects are head University in Ontario, Canada. His bad, and that in fact many people actu- research into the dynamics of human in ally seek them out. teractions with wildlife has two main foci: Tourism is an important component polar bears and dragonflies.

Butterfly gardening offers learning opportunities and a relaxing pastime, as well as the chance to create more habitat for insects. Photograph by Matthew Shepherd.

FALL 2012 15 An Obsession with Odonata

Celeste Mazzacano

It’s a warm sunny day in July, and I am For aficionados of Odonata (dragon- crouching in a wetland off Oregon’s flies and damselflies), few outdoor ven- Willamette River. I feel a certain com- tures are undertaken without a camera, panionship with the Pacific chorus a net, and several field guides. Dragonfly frogs hopping nearby as the mud seeps enthusiasts rival birders in the strength around my knees and I crawl closer of their obsession—but what is it about to the dragonfly, an irritatingly coy these insects that captures the hearts striped meadowhawk (Sympetrum palli and minds of so many? pes). He flicks his wings impatiently, and Dragonflies and damselflies are the shutter on my camera clicks a bare among the most frequently encoun- second before he launches into flight. I tered and easily recognized insects. pull myself free of the ooze and shake a Different species inhabit almost every spider from my hair, feeling well-com- kind of freshwater habitat; you can find pensated for my dogged stalking by the them in ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, image on my camera screen. marshes, bogs, seeps, and even roadside

Odonates have a loyal following of enthusiastic “ode-ers,” who are attracted by both their beauty and their acrobatic flying ability. Red rock skimmer Paltothemis( lineatipes), photographed by Dustin Huntington.

16 WINGS Young dragonflies live in water. They are aggressive predators, catching tadpoles and small fish as well as other insects. Nymph of a common green darner (Anax junius), photographed by John Abbott. ditches. One species, the seaside drag- toothed jaws—is divided into two sub- onlet (Erythrodiplax berenice), breeds in orders: large, sturdy dragonflies (An- saline waters such as salt marshes and isoptera), who perch with their strong tidal estuaries. Because they leave the wings held horizontally; and the more water to mature, feed, and find shelter, delicate damselflies (Zygoptera), whose you can also find odonates in meadows, wings are closed over their slender abdo- open fields, and forests. mens at rest. Adult odonates are notice- Their vibrant colors, large size, and able for their acrobatic flight and bright incredible flying skills have captivated hues, but their dull-colored, cryptic people throughout history. To some young are equally well adapted for their Native American tribes, dragonflies environment. Young dragonflies, called symbolized swiftness or pure water; nymphs, larvae, or naiads, live in water. to Japanese warriors, they were an em- The bodies of some species are stream- blem of strength. European and Euro- lined and minnow-like to help them American cultures endowed them with swim through vegetation, while others darker symbology, calling them Devil’s are broad and flattened to burrow into darning needles, eye-pokers, snake mud. They obtain oxygen from water doctors, and horse stingers, and folk pulled into a gill chamber at the tip of stories warned that children who told the abdomen; this chamber doubles as lies risked having their lips stitched to- a jet-propulsion unit, as the nymph can gether by a dragonfly as punishment. shoot water out of this cavity to escape Their varied and evocative common from danger. Damselfly nymphs are names — shadowdragon, amberwing, elongated and slender; the oxygen they sylph, boghaunter, spinyleg, sprite, fire- need is absorbed through their skin and tail, jewelwing— echo the diversity and through three delicate leaf-like append- beauty of these insects. ages at the tip of the abdomen. The order Odonata—the name de- Both dragonfly and damselfly rives from the Greek odontos, for their nymphs are aggressive predators. Fold-

FALL 2012 17 A dragonfly’s wings move independently of each other, giving these insects impressive aerial agility— even when they are badly damaged. Black saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), photographed by John Abbott. ed under the head is a hinged lower lip, pale, and crumpled, and vulnerable to or “labium,” armed with teeth, which attack by predators. Soon the wings ex- shoots out to snatch aquatic insects, pand, the abdomen extends, the outer tadpoles, and even small fish, bring- skin hardens, and the dragonfly takes to ing them back to the mandibles to be the air in a weak, fluttery maiden flight, chewed and swallowed. leaving its cast-off skin (“exuvia”) be- The majority of an odonate’s life is hind. These adults move away from the spent underwater, as nymphs take from water to complete the process of matur- one to five years to develop, depending ing and to feed. on the species. Like all insects, nymphs Adults lack the hinged labium of grow by molting through stages called nymphs but are adapted to continue “instars.” In the final instars, the devel- their predatory habits, with many spe- oping adult wing pads become visible. cializations that render them ferocious Nymphs stop feeding a few days before aerial hunters. Their spiny legs are di- they emerge as adults. A nymph leaves rected forward and held in a basket-like the water for emergence, climbing up on arrangement that enables them to scoop a twig, plant, rock, tree trunk, or nearby up prey in flight, capturing small insects dock or bridge. As emergence begins, the such as flies, beetles, leafhoppers, and skin splits along the top of the thorax mosquitoes (thus the additional com- and the adult pulls its head, thorax, and mon name of “mosquitohawk”). They legs free, followed by its abdomen. The may forage by flying continuously and newly emerged (“teneral”) adult is soft, snatching prey in mid-flight (and often

18 WINGS eating it on the wing), sallying forth These amazing eyes make it possible for from a perch to catch flying prey, or odonates to quickly detect movement making slow searching flights through and shape, allowing dragonflies to the vegetation to glean perched prey. home in on prey and avoid being caught Adults are eaten in turn by birds, robber themselves—whether by a hungry bird flies, spiders, and each other—the fierce or a net-wielding odonatist. dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus), for Odonates are also notable for their example, is large enough to catch dam- two pairs of large, transparent wings, selflies and even other dragonflies. criss-crossed by networks of veins that Among the odonates’ most impres- form complex patterns resembling liv- sive features are their enormous coming stained-glass windows. Their deli- pound eyes, composed of individual cate appearance belies the strength of units called “ommatidia.” No other in- these wings and their underlying flight sects have eyes as large; in some dragon- muscles, which make dragonflies some flies, a single eye may have twenty-eight of the most dynamic fliers on the plan- thousand ommatidia. These huge eyes et. Each wing works independently of provide a field of vision covering almost the other three, enabling the insects 360 degrees. If you could see with drag- to stop, hover, shoot upward, make onfly eyes, you would see everywhere sharp turns, and even reverse for short except immediately behind your head, distances. Powerful flight muscles en- and you’d be able to detect ultraviolet able them to fly at speeds of up to thirty light as well as the full color spectrum. miles per hour—rivaling that of small

Damselflies are typically more delicate-looking than their larger dragonfly relatives. Ebony jewelwing Calopteryx( maculata), photo graphed by Bryan E. Reynolds.

FALL 2012 19 songbirds—and to travel many miles in including inserting them into vegeta- a day. In addition, their impressive fly- tion or sediment, dropping them onto ing ability allows some species to engage the water while hovering, or tapping in annual migration flights across thou- the egg-laden abdomen on the water’s sands of miles. surface. Some species lay eggs in dry Mating occurs via an intricate seasonal wetlands that will flood later. mechanism unique to odonates, and Regardless of the technique employed, may commence in flight. Males of many only a tiny proportion of the thousands species claim territory in suitable egg- of eggs one female can lay will survive to laying locations and patrol and defend emerge as adults and take to the sky. it against rivals. Females tend to avoid Odonates are long-term denizens of water and the resident harassing males the planet; fossils of giant proto-dragon- until they are ready to mate or lay eggs. flies (Meganeuridae) with wingspans as Before mating, the male transfers a great as twenty-six inches (sixty-eight sperm packet from a pore near the tip of centimeters) have been found in sedi- his abdomen to his secondary genitalia, ments three hundred million years old. on the underside of his second abdomi- Given their long history, diversity, and nal segment. He then uses forceps-like widespread distribution, it is tempting appendages on the tip of his abdomen to to assume that odonates can continue grab a passing female behind the head. to fly successfully across a changing If the female is receptive, she curves landscape. However, their absolute reli- the tip of her abdomen up to the male’s ance on freshwater ecosystems means secondary genitalia, where it locks into that odonates are losing habitat at an place for sperm transfer; the male can alarming pace. A large proportion of also use his secondary genitalia to dis- the world’s wetlands have been drained, place stored sperm from a female’s pre- filled, or polluted, and introduced non- vious mating. native fish can devour nymphs. The The pair is now in a circular ar- effects of global climate change are al- rangement called the “wheel” position, ready being seen, with some species dis- though observers often point out that appearing at the local level from season- the shape made by the slender flex- al ponds that have dried out repeatedly ible abdomens of a damselfly pair more from the severe droughts that presently closely resembles a heart. In many spe- afflict many places. cies, the male continues holding the fe- There is still much for us to learn male behind the head after the wheel is about dragonflies, and anyone inter- broken and flies with her as she lays eggs, ested in odonates and their conserva- protecting his reproductive investment. tion can make a real contribution. With If the male releases the female complete- digital photography, identification has ly, he may fly along with and guard her, become easier—a flighty or distant spec- or she may oviposit alone. imen can be zoomed in upon even if it Females distribute their eggs over a never comes close enough to net, and a wide area to increase the likelihood of netted specimen can be photographed their survival. Depending on the spe- from different angles to provide clear cies, eggs are laid in a variety of ways, views of specific characteristics. Pho-

20 WINGS Tennyson and other poets have extolled the exquisite beauty of dragonflies. Male widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), photographed by Bryan E. Reynolds. tographs can be submitted to Odonata of expertise and advice from a friendly Central (www.odonatacentral.org), community of fellow “ode-ers.” where they will be added to a growing Just by taking note of the species you species database. see in your daily activities, you can con- Many professional and amateur tribute significantly to our knowledge odonatists maintain collections, and of dragonfly ecology, distribution, and these collections have been critically status. So the next time you head out important for scientific and educational the door, grab your camera and a pair of endeavors in providing tissue for DNA binoculars, and keep your eyes open for and isotope analyses, identifying hy- these beautiful insects that Alfred Lord brids and subspecies, confirming range Tennyson described as covered in “clear extensions, and delineating the variety plates of sapphire.” But be warned, you of coloration and markings within a sin- just might become obsessed. gle species. Collecting and identifying exuviae is a good way to confirm that a particular species is reproducing at a Celeste Mazzacano directs the Xerces Soci site, and can provide important infor- ety’s aquatic program and serves as project mation about the ecology and life histo- coordinator for the Migratory Dragonfly ry of a species. A host of excellent guides Partnership. Mazzacano is associate editor facilitate identification, and listservs of Argia, the news journal of the Dragonfly and Facebook groups provide a chorus Society of the Americas.

FALL 2012 21 Neonicotinoids in Your Garden

Jennifer Hopwood and Matthew Shepherd

Gardens can be of great value for bees Illinois. Gardens can clearly support and other pollinators, providing nectar, significant communities of bees, and, pollen, caterpillar host plants, and bee although they comprise only a small nest sites. In recent years an increasing fraction of most landscapes, the ben- number of researchers and citizen sci- efits from these garden bees can spill entists have surveyed bees in suburban over onto nearby farmland. Scientists and urban gardens across the United in Britain have found that agricultural States and consistently they come back crops within half a mile of gardens are with records of dozens of species, even more likely to receive visits from bumble from community gardens in the Bronx bees than are those further away. and East Harlem in the heart of New Unfortunately, the value of gardens York City. While usually they find com- for sustaining pollinator populations mon species, sometimes they’ve been can be drastically limited by the use of surprised—the imperiled rusty-patched pesticides, insecticides in particular. bumble bee (Bombus affinis), for in- While there are a number of ways to stance, has been spotted by citizen sci- manage garden pests, commonly used entists several times over the past three garden pesticides can kill the “good” years in rural and suburban gardens in insects, even when applied according

Gardens can provide valuable habitat for a wide variety of insects. Metallic sweat bee (Agapostemon), photographed by Mace Vaughan.

22 WINGS The common buckeye (Junonia coenia) is one of a wide range of butterfly species that regularly frequent gardens. Photograph by Bryan E. Reynolds. to the instructions on the label. Faced as well as for ornamental plants growing with well-stocked shelves of pesticides in commercial nurseries, and they have at stores and garden centers, many gar- become a ubiquitous presence on store deners discover that deciding which one shelves as the number of garden prod- to pick can be tricky. For the health and ucts containing them has expanded. wellbeing of pollinating insects, avoid- Neonicotinoids are systemic chem- ing pesticides altogether may be the best icals: taken up through various plant option, but the fact is that many garden- parts, they may then be distributed ers do employ pesticides. throughout plant tissues. This systemic Among the most widely used gar- action means that the chemicals can be den insecticides are the neonicotinoids, applied to plants in a variety of ways—as a group of seven chemicals that have re- a seed coating, as a soil drench around cently been the subject of media scru- the base of a plant, by trunk injection, tiny. Lauded by some as a breakthrough dissolved in irrigation water, as a spray in pest control, neonicotinoids are de- to leaves. Whichever method is used, nounced by others as the cause of a new the pesticide is absorbed by the plant as “silent spring.” it grows, making the plant tissues them- These insecticides with the tongue- selves toxic to sap-sucking insects such as twisting name are a synthetic modifi- aphids or plant bugs and to leaf-chewing cation of nicotine, a highly toxic plant caterpillars or beetles. compound once commonly used as a One oft-touted advantage of neo- pesticide. First introduced into the U.S. nicotinoids over older pesticides is their market in the mid-1990s, neonicotinoids lower toxicity to humans and other were rapidly adopted for agricultural use mammals (although unlike nonsystem-

FALL 2012 23 temic applications may be claimed to be “safe” for non-target insect life, the toxins are present in pollen and nectar as well as in the rest of the plant, pos- ing a threat to such flower-visiting insects as bees, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and flies. Neonicotinoids are toxic to a number of beneficial insects, but the danger they pose to honey bees has drawn the most attention, given the recent large- scale losses of these domesticated pollinators. Some beekeepers and many in the environmental community consider neonicotinoids to be responsible for the phenomenon known as “colony collapse disorder.” In recent years a variety of journalists, documentary film makers, and organizations have expressed this opinion, often in quite strong terms, despite the fact that numerous scientific studies implicate a range of factors, including several pathogens and a lack Systemic insecticides are absorbed by a of floral diversity in the landscape. In plant and spread through all its parts, including the nectar drunk by butterflies. order to better understand the scientific American lady (Vanessa virginiensis), pho- evidence, the Xerces Society recently tographed by Bryan E. Reynolds. undertook a review of the research, both that which has been published in ic products, they cannot be washed off high-profile journals and internal stud- of the fruit you eat). Another advantage ies produced by insecticide industry sci- is that they may be applied in a very tar- entists. Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees?, a geted manner, reducing potential expo- summary of our review, was released by sure to many types of non-target insects Xerces this spring. that would contact a broadcast spray. It is clear that neonicotinoids fed to In one example of such an application, bees in laboratory settings can kill them growing corn plants absorb the insecti- outright, but it is unclear how often neo- cide from coated seeds rather than the nicotinoids reach lethal levels in pollen field of corn being sprayed, thus elimi- and nectar in the field or garden. As one nating a broadcast spray that could might expect, though, the amount of expose non-pest insects in the process chemical that can be found in pollen (although, on the other hand, dust re- and nectar is related to the amount ap- leased from equipment during planting plied to the plant, and, in products in- poses a risk to bees and other non-target tended for agriculture, restrictions limit insects). Unfortunately, although sys- neonicotinoid application to quantities

24 WINGS that typically result in sublethal levels growing body of research indicates that being present in pollen and nectar. Still, harmful but sublethal levels are routine- although they don’t kill, these smaller ly applied to crops that bees visit and doses can affect the ability of bees to fly that these might be negatively affecting or navigate, impair their sense of taste, bee populations. hamper their foraging activity, and re- Even more worrisome, and far more duce their ability to reproduce. These overlooked, are the levels of pesticides effects may impact individual solitary that are permitted in home gardens. bees or combine to influence the over- Particularly notable are industry stud- all health of bumble bee or honey bee ies that have found extremely high colonies. levels of neonicotinoids in ornamental For example, recent research from flowering shrubs and trees that are at- France found that honey bees fed a sub- tractive to bees. Home garden products lethal dose had more difficulty find- containing neonicotinoids can legally ing their way back to their hive, and be applied in far greater concentrations scientists in Britain found that bumble in gardens than they can be on farms— bee colonies fed very low doses of neo- sometimes at concentrations as much as nicotinoid-laced sugar water produced 120 times as great—which increases the significantly fewer queens. While both risk to pollinators. Pesticide companies of these studies were criticized for using themselves found that, when applied doses higher than those that would in the amounts suggested on the labels, be found in crops from treated seed, a some neonicotinoids could continue

As adults, flower flies feed on nectar or pollen; as larvae, they may eat aphids or other soft-bodied insects that are often considered garden pests. They can be exposed to neonicotinoids through all of these food sources. Flower fly Eupeodes( ), photographed by Rollin Coville.

FALL 2012 25 All but one of these garden insecticides contain neonicotinoids, and none of the labels indicate that they are poisonous to bees and adult butterflies. Photograph by Matthew Shepherd. to be present in flowers at lethal levels years for any revisions to filter through eighteen months after application. But the system and change the products that homeowners may not even be aware of are for sale. the risk the use of these products poses. What you apply to your garden, The labels of many of the products now though, is something that you have di- on garden center shelves do not men- rect control over. To determine whether tion the toxicity of the products to bees, a pesticide contains a neonicotinoid, re- nor do they suggest ways to limit expo- view the ingredients before you buy. Im- sure to bees, such as by applying them idacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin, only to non-flowering plants or after the and thiamethoxam are all neonicoti- plants have bloomed. noids found in home garden products. Efforts are underway to change the Much harder to control is the lingering way neonicotinoids are labeled and presence of pesticides that have been ap- regulated. Xerces is working with the plied to plants months before they reach U.S. Environmental Protection Agency your garden. There have been reports of and other organizations to develop new dead bees—both honey bees and bum- methods for testing the effects of insec- ble bees—around commercially grown ticides on native bees — creatures that hanging baskets, and there is reason have been routinely ignored throughout for concern about monarch caterpil- the history of the pesticide regulation lars being affected by eating nursery- process—and to establish better assess- bought milkweed. Obviously, nurseries ment protocols. Still, it will take some are applying pesticides to protect their

26 WINGS investment; most people don’t want to dens that are free of chemical threats. buy a ragged-looking plant, in the same Systemic insecticides add an unfortu- way that they choose spotless fruit over nate additional layer of complexity for blemished. When, however, this prefer- gardeners wanting to create a safe haven ence harms wildlife in gardens separat- for insects and other wildlife, but with ed by distance and time from where the care the danger can be minimized or plant was grown, it is clear that we must avoided. find new ways to nurture plants grown for sale. Again, before you buy, take a moment to ask the garden center staff Jennifer Hopwood is the Xerces Society’s if they know whether the plants were pollinator conservation specialist for the treated with neonicotinoids. Midwest region. Matthew Shepherd worked Wildlife gardening is a well-estab- in the Society’s pollinator conservation pro lished movement. It seems that every gram for several years and is now Xerces’ neighborhood has people encouraging communications director. wildlife into their yards. Choosing the Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? best plants to attract butterflies, build- A Review of Research into the Effects of ing bird houses and bee blocks, and cre- Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Bees, with ating ponds or log piles to provide shel- Recommendations for Action is available ter for frogs and myriad other small crea- from the Xerces Society. Visit www.xerces. tures are all effective ways to support a org/neonicotinoids-and-bees/ to download wide range of wildlife, and generations a free PDF file or call 1-855-232-6639 to of gardeners have enjoyed beautiful gar- purchase a copy.

Gardens are being created across the country to provide habitat for butterflies and bees. The Xerces Society offers information about creating such plots, as well as signs to raise awareness of the importance of pollinator habitat. Photograph by Celeste Ets-Hokin.

FALL 2012 27 XERCES NEWS

Xerces Secures Its First Million-Dollar Grant U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to best manage wildflower meadows on announced in late August that the Xer the edges of farms, the use of organic ces Society will receive a nearly $1 mil- techniques to control weeds in such lion Conservation Innovation Grant pollinator meadows, and ways to quan- from the USDA Natural Resources Con- tify the effectiveness of various types of servation Service to improve pollinator flowers in supporting crop-pollinating habitat on farms and ranches across the wild bees and honey bees. The partners United States. The Society’s partners in will also collaborate with native plant this project include Dr. Claire Kremen nurseries to find ways to mass-produce (University of California at Berkeley), seed for bee-friendly wildflowers that Dr. Neal Williams (University of Cali- are not currently available in the nurs- fornia at Davis), Dr. Marla Spivak (Uni- ery industry. versity of Minnesota), and Dr. Rachael This work builds upon the success Winfree (Rutgers University). of earlier field tests by the project part- Working together across fourteen ners, researching the benefits of creat- states, the group will investigate how ing habitat next to cropland.

Pollinator habitat created at the USDA-NRCS Lockeford Plant Materials Center by Xerces and Lockeford staff. Photograph by Jessa Guisse.

28 WINGS Thank You to Whole Foods Market and Its Vendors Concerned about the plight of bees, to bee ecology, pollinator-friendly farm- Whole Foods Market created Share the ing strategies, and ideas for restoring bee Buzz, a bee conservation initiative that habitat on working farms. it launched in the middle of June to tie in During the two-week promotion, with National Pollinator Week. Displays Whole Foods Market donated twenty- in stores across North America featured five cents to the Xerces Society for each Xerces’ Bring Back the Pollinators cam- organic cantaloupe sold. They sold well paign and encouraged their customers over a hundred thousand melons! to take action to support bees. To cap the initiative, Whole Foods Prior to the June initiative, the So Market worked with its vendor compa- ciety’s pollinator conservation staff pre- nies —Annie’s and the Hain Celestial sented a nationwide webinar to Whole Group, Inc., among others—to raise do- Foods’ produce farmers and suppliers nations to support Xerces. Thank you to on the importance of protecting polli- Whole Foods Market, its vendors, and nators. Topics included an introduction all who made this effort such a success.

Bumble Bee Guidelines Bumble bees, which are key pollinators lines for Creating and Managing Habitat of crops and wildflowers and essential for America’s Declining Pollinators. This for a healthy environment, are declin- booklet provides the essential informa- ing at an alarming rate. Biologists have tion needed to create and restore ap- found that several previously common propriate habitat and describes ways in species, such as the rusty-patched bum- which land managers can alter current ble bee (Bombus affinis), are now absent practices to be more in sync with the from much of their former territory. needs and life cycle of bumble bees. The Surviving populations of these guidelines also include regional bumble species need high-quality habitat to bee identification guides and lists of im- persist, as do all bumble bees. To assist portant bumble bee plants by region. landowners and managers in providing To buy a printed copy or to down- habitat, the Xerces Society this summer load a PDF at no cost, please go to www. released Conserving Bumble Bees: Guide xerces.org/bumblebees/guidelines/.

The Xerces Society’s 2013 Calendar: Dragonflies of North America Xerces has produced a calendar for the can watch them in the wild, and find coming year featuring stunning photo- out how you can contribute to citizen- graphs of dragonflies and damselflies, science projects tracking dragonflies as accompanied by brief notes about their they migrate from Canada to Mexico. natural history and behaviors. Month All proceeds from calendar sales by month you will discover facts about will directly support our conservation these dramatic insects, learn how you programs. Calendars are 9½ x 12 and

FALL 2012 29 Dragonflies of North America 2013 Calendar

The Xerces Society for invertebrate conservation

cost $15.00, including shipping. You can xerces.org/calendar/ or by calling us at purchase them via our web site at www. 1-855-232-6639.

Migratory Dragonfly Short Courses from Coast to Coast In North America, huge numbers of in North America. Each course covered migrating dragonflies can be seen fly- dragonfly life history, ecology, and mi- ing south in the fall along both coasts gratory behavior, and trained partici- and through the Midwest. This amaz- pants to identify key migratory species ing phenomenon is widely witnessed, and contribute data to ongoing MDP but poorly understood. The Migratory citizen-science research projects. Dragonfly Partnership MDP( ), the Xerces Celeste Mazzacano, the director of Society, and U.S. Forest Service Interna- Xerces’ aquatic program and coordina- tional Programs recently collaborated to tor of the Migratory Dragonfly Partner- present a series of migratory dragonfly ship, presented courses in Oregon, Texas, short courses across North America. and New Jersey. She was joined at some These full-day courses were intend- of these events by MDP partners Dennis ed for anyone interested in dragonflies Paulson, Mike May, and John Abbott. A and wanting to contribute to building fifth course, led by MDP partner Colin our knowledge of dragonfly migration Jones, was presented in Ontario.

Protecting Butterflies of Pacific Northwest Prairies The future of three Pacific Northwest per—relies upon the continuing pres- butterflies —Taylor’s checkerspot, the ence of prairies, one of the region’s most island marble, and the mardon skip- endangered habitats. The Xerces Society

30 WINGS has submitted petitions to the U.S. Fish manage land for its conservation, which and Wildlife Service (FWS) asking for utimately contributed to the FWS deci- Endangered Species Act listing for all sion not to list. Xerces commends the three butterflies. agencies and their staff for this work, Of the three, Taylor’s checkerspot which was recognized with a 2012 (Euphydryas editha taylori) may now be Wings Across America award. However, the most secure. Thanks to a petition the skipper’s future is still uncertain and from Xerces and our conservation part- much more work is needed to secure it ners, the FWS announced in early Octo- at the many sites that are not being ac- ber that it was proposing that Taylor’s tively managed for the mardon skipper. checkerspot be declared “endangered,” The island marble (Euchloe ausonides providing legal protection to the butter- insulanus) is even more urgently in need fly and more than six thousand acres of of protection. Already extirpated from prairie in Oregon and Washington. Canada, it is known to inhabit open The mardon skipper (Polites mardon) grasslands on just two islands (San Juan has been less fortunate. Xerces peti- and Lopez) in Washington state’s Puget tioned the FWS in 2002; this September, Sound. The island marble continues to a decade later, the FWS made a much- lose habitat each year; it now occupies delayed announcement denying the just eight of the fifty-two sites at which it skipper protection. This was bittersweet was once found, and some of those have news. In recent years Xerces has worked only a third as many butterflies as previ- extensively with the U.S. Forest Service, ously. In August Xerces filed a petition the Bureau of Land Management, and asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the Washington Department of Fish to extend Endangered Species Act pro- and Wildlife to study the butterfly and tection to the island marble butterfly.

WINGS, Fall 2012 Volume 35, Number 2 Wings is published twice a year by the Xerces Society, an international, non- profit ro ganization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. A Xerces Society membership costs $30 per year (tax-deductible) and includes a subscription to Wings. Copyright © 2012 by the Xerces Society. All rights reserved. Xerces Society Executive Director: Scott Hoffman Black; Editors: Scott Hoffman Black, John Laursen, and Matthew Shepherd; Design and Production: John Laursen. Printed on recycled paper. For information about membership and our conservation programs for native pollinators, endangered species, and aquatic invertebrates, contact us: THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 628 Northeast Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232 toll-free 855-232-6639 fax 503-233-6794 [email protected] www.xerces.org

FALL 2012 31 Life and death in the insect world: the larvae of many species of flower flies (family Syrphidae) are predators of aphids, which makes them valuable for controlling sap-sucking pests in the garden. Photograph by Alex Wild.

THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 628 Northeast Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232

Board of Directors Counselors Paul A. Opler May R. Berenbaum Paul R. Ehrlich Dennis Paulson President Wendell Gilgert Robert Michael Pyle Linda Craig Boris Kondratieff Michael Samways Treasurer Claire Kremen Cheryl Schultz Sacha Spector John Losey Robbin Thorpe Secretary Thomas Lovejoy Scientific Advisor David Frazee Johnson Jerrold Meinwald E. O. Wilson Scott E. Miller Michael G. Morris Marla Spivak Piotr Naskrecki

A $30 per year Xerces Society membership includes a subscription to Wings.

Our cover photograph shows a beetle in the family Lampyridae. During daylight these insects appear unremarkable, but after dark they transform into flashing fireflies, creating summer-evening enchantment that lingers in our memories. Photograph copyright iStockphoto/ABDesign.