WINGS ESSAYS ON INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

THE XERCES SOCIETY SPRING 2008 Insects and the City

Sacha Spector

I spotted the first one as I emerged from as exhilarating and inspiring as any I’ve the subway into the bright sunshine of witnessed. a crisp autumn morning. I watched an- It was also a breathtaking reminder other, and then two more wing their of the power that invertebrates have way down Broadway. As I walked to my to connect the three billion of us who office at the American Museum of live in urban settings with the natural Natural History, I counted them head- world. Already, half of the world’s hu- ing along each avenue. Southward, man population lives in cities, a global down Amsterdam and Columbus Ave- trend that will continue well into this nues and Central Park West, they century. For the urban dweller it is the streamed by the dozens. Monarch but- orange and black flash of a monarch terflies, migrating in the millions to rather than a tiger or jaguar, the call their winter roost in Mexico, were grace- of the katydid instead of the howl of fully navigating the canyons of New coyotes, that provide our most intense York City (but ignoring traffic regula- moments for remembering that even tions, since Amsterdam Avenue runs our biggest metropolises are part of north only). It was a wildlife spectacle something greater.

During their migration, monarch butterflies can be found in a wide variety of locations ranging from flower-rich prairie to busy city streets. Monarchs are regular visitors to countless gardens; their presence provides a direct link between natural areas and the most densely urbanized regions. Danaus plex- ippus, photographed on marigold by Gretchen Halverson.

SPRING 2008 3 Of course, invertebrates in cities are son demonstrates the value of New old news — we have always lived side York’s community gardens and pocket by side with species that appreciate the parks as surprising outposts of insect stable, nourishing niches to be found diversity and enriching points of neigh- in our buildings and our pantries. In borhood connection. Travis Longcore some sense though, even those some- and Catherine Rich describe the inten- times unwelcome species that share our sive efforts that are needed to sustain homes with us offer connections to the endangered insects in California’s urban larger realm of wild, amazing nature. habitat fragments. The complexity and That house centipede hunting under ferocity of the arachnid micro-predators your sofa has a few relatives that hunt that can be found all around us are the for bats on the roofs of tropical caves. subject of Greta Binford’s essay on back- Central American cousins of that Am- yard spiders. From the other side of erican cockroach hiding behind your the Atlantic, Matt Shardlow provides refrigerator form stable, male-female evidence and hope that pockets of pairbonds and cooperate for years to England’s degraded, post-industrial ur- raise their young. The silverfish that ban areas can be repurposed as refuges nibble our books belong to one of the for early-successional species. Finally, most ancient insect orders, Zygentoma, Celeste Mazzacano, Scott Hoffman whose direct lineage goes back nearly Black, and Matthew Shepherd take us four hundred million years. In other on a trip down urban streams that are words, we bunk down with living fossils polluted but promising in their re- and voracious predators and nurturing silience, and are home to many of our insectine parents. nation’s most endangered invertebrate At the same time, as if to remind us species. that we have a lot to learn about the Together, the contributors to this possibilities of invertebrate life in the issue provide a powerful argument that city, undiscovered species keep turning it is time to re-examine the ways we up in urban centers. Nannarrup hoff- encounter and conserve invertebrates mani, a genus and species of centipede in urban settings. I invite you to enjoy new to science was found in Central these essays — and then to get out there, Park, virtually across the street from my whether by taxi, bus, or simply pound- office, just a few years ago. Last year ing the pavement, and become an three new species of pholcid spiders urban invertebrate explorer. You’ll be were described from the urban forests of pleasantly surprised. I’ll bet my subway São Paolo. There are many new stories pass on it. to uncover and tell in the heart of the urban jungle. The stories in this issue of Wings Sacha Spector is manager of the Inverte- celebrate the variety of urban inver- brate Conservation Program at the Ameri- tebrates and explore the challenges of can Museum of Natural History’s Center conserving them in the midst of our for Biodiversity and Conservation, and sec- most populated regions. Kevin Matte- retary of the Xerces Society’s board.

4 WINGS Entomologist in the Big Apple

Kevin Cox Matteson

I pedaled my bike southward in late af- and collect the yellow bowl traps that I ternoon traffic on Third Avenue in East had set out twenty-four hours earlier in Harlem in New York City, carefully two community gardens. Soon the sun avoiding double-parked cars and deliv- would dip below the urban horizon of ery trucks. The sidewalks were packed ten-story apartment buildings, resulting with outdoor vendors and shopping in a precipitous drop in insect activity. pedestrians. At 113th Street, I bounced I turned right on 111th Street, nodded over a large pothole, jarring my digital to a group of teenagers hanging out on camera and nearly knocking my insect the corner, and hopped off my bike at net loose from its precarious attachment the wrought-iron gate of a community to my bike. I glanced at my watch. It garden owned and maintained by the was nearly four in the afternoon and I nonprofit New York Restoration Project. had yet to observe butterflies, net bees, I opened the gate, wheeled my bike in-

New York City’s community gardens provide sanctuary for many human activities, from dominoes to band practice, even a pet cemetery. Recent research shows that places such as Tremont Community Garden in the Bronx also support a surprising variety of insects. Photograph by Kevin Cox Matteson.

SPRING 2008 5 side, and took a deep breath. It was time populated neighborhoods, on city to catch some insects. blocks where people actually live. This was a typical day during my Community gardens, of which doctoral research, conducted in com- there are over seven hundred in New munity gardens located in the Bronx York City, easily fit this “on the block” and East Harlem while at Fordham Uni- criterion and provide a unique and chal- versity in New York City from 2003 to lenging research experience. Although 2007. It has taken some time to realize small — usually less than twelve hun- that the study of ecology — the inter- dred square yards (a thousand square relationship of organisms and their en- meters) — they play a large role in the vironments — has daily applications no community and are eclectically utilized matter where you live. Although urban by neighborhood residents and full of residents may visit city parks on occa- distractions for the researcher of ento- sion, most parks are set apart from hu- mology. My research in these urban gar- man residences, requiring transit by bus dens was conducted amidst festivals and or subway. And for children growing up cookouts, with the perpetual tempta- in the city, the block on which they live tion to put down the insect net and dig- is their entire world. Therefore, despite ital camera to relax, have a drink, play the attraction of conducting an ecolog- with the kids, and to be a part of the fun ical study in the “urban wilderness” pre- that is summertime in New York City. sent in large parks and refuges of New My chosen research sites were in the York City (for example, Jamaica Bay Bronx and East Harlem, where several National Wildlife Refuge in Queens, gardens served as local watering holes Central Park in Manhattan, and Pros- (bring your own brown bag) and as cen- pect Park in Brooklyn), I found myself tral meeting spots for playing domi- seeking field sites located in densely noes. In other gardens, small groups of children would gather to peer at a line of ants marching to a food spill, to un- earth worms, or (my personal favorite) to “help” me by chasing butterflies or screaming at bees and wasps. Teenagers used one garden for band practice dur- ing the night while a group of men used it for barbecues during the day (which was convenient when I forgot lunch). The corner of one quiet community gar- den was even used by a self-proclaimed “witch” for ceremonies and by neigh- borhood residents as a pet cemetery. (Where else in the city are you going to bury your dog or turtle?) One of the most abundant groups of in- sects found in urban community gardens Despite the distractions my research are long-legged flies. Condylostylus sp., continued, and as data was collected photographed by Tom Murray. ecological patterns emerged. It is often

6 WINGS the case in urban ecology that some species, labeled “urban exploiters” by Robert Blair of the University of Min- nesota, do very well and are extremely abundant, while other species are rare or excluded. This pattern was apparent in these gardens, with several insect species and taxa being superabundant, including the introduced cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), the native com- mon eastern bumble bee (Bombus impa- tiens), and metallic-green long-legged flies (family Dolichopodidae). In con- trast, other insect groups, such as min- ing bees (family Andrenidae), were near- Butterflies, including the red-banded hair- ly completely excluded, perhaps due to streak (Calycopis cecrops), are regular vis- the prevalence of concrete and resultant itors to New York City’s community gar- lack of soils suitable for nesting sites. dens. Photograph by Lewis Scharpf. Another pattern common in urban habitats is the prevalence of exotic A booming population of native species. Working in collaboration with species in larger city parks or outside of Dr. John Ascher of the American Mu- the city may result in some individuals seum of Natural History and Dr. Gail spilling over into smaller city habitats. Langellotto of Oregon State University, In 2004, several individuals of the small, I found within these urban gardens of yet vibrantly colored red-banded hair- the Bronx and East Harlem ten of the streak (Calycopis cecrops) turned up in twenty-one exotic bees known to in- community gardens, although I didn’t habit North America. We also docu- see them in any other year of the study. mented the first New York State record Also in 2004, a great spangled fritillary of Hylaeus punctatus, an exotic yellow- (Speyeria cybele), a rare species even in faced bee native to Europe. In just three larger parks of the city, was spotted in a decades since its introduction to the garden over 750 yards (700 meters) from New World, this bee has spread from the nearest park. Although most but- urban areas of Chile and Argentina, to terflies reach gardens via dispersal, on California and Washington, D.C., and occasion some species may reproduce now New York. Interestingly, the preva- within gardens, as evidenced by an east- lence of exotic species in some urban ern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) areas provides serious challenges for tax- caterpillar observed feeding on com- onomists (which taxonomic key should mon rue (Ruta graveolens) in a garden on be used?), ecologists (are exotic species 118th Street in Manhattan. using vacant niches or excluding native Rainforests, coral reefs, and other species?), and conservationists (are spe- such “pristine” habitats are synonymous cies likely to spread out of cities to more in the public mind with biodiversity, pristine habitats?). whereas cities often are considered too

SPRING 2008 7 Several butterfly species disperse from larger parks to community gardens but only a few breed in the gardens. Caterpillars of the eastern black swallowtail (Papilio poly- xenes) were found in a garden on Manhattan’s 118th Street. Photograph by Kevin Cox Matteson. developed and too polluted to support through the gate of a garden. Children many species. During four years of re- stopped and stared when a butterfly search, though, I found a total of fifty- would fly out of a garden and briefly four bee species, twenty-four butterfly alight on the sidewalk. One day, as I species, and over seventy additional in- emerged from a garden in East Harlem sect taxa (predominantly families and with a yellow bowl trap full of insects, a subfamilies) in the community gardens. group of teenagers approached and Admittedly, many of the species were asked what I was doing. As I explained exotic or extremely abundant, thus not my research and began to show them requiring conservation. Even so, in ur- the myriad of insects collected, two un- ban landscapes common wildlife species dercover police officers approached, ap- serve an important role in reconciling parently believing that we were huddled urban residents with nature, helping to around some sort of new drug para- prevent what Robert Michael Pyle has phernalia. I tried to remain calm as I ex- termed the “extinction of experience.” plained the situation and to my sur- Wildlife in urban habitats can alter prise, they were interested. The next human perception of the urban envi- thing I knew, all of us, cops, teenagers, ronment (there is biodiversity in cities) and researcher, were peering into a bowl in addition to providing opportunities filled with tephritid and muscid flies, for interactions with nature. pemphrenid and chrysidid wasps, lace- Throughout my research, I wit- wings, and scarab beetles, all floating in nessed many occasions where human a soapy liquid. In these and many other curiosity and the enjoyment of nature experiences, it was clear that humans were abundantly apparent. Elderly men and women would often stop to peer continued on page 23

8 WINGS Invertebrate Conservation at the Gates of Hell

Travis Longcore and Catherine Rich

In the foreground, an endangered Palos species by maintaining open spaces free Verdes blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche lyg- from development around them. These damus palosverdesensis) sits motionless remnants are now a necessary focal in the cool March morning air, wings point for urban conservation. spread and tattered as it rests on the Conservationists sometimes over- stem of a deerweed plant. Behind it is look and undervalue urban fragments. the red glow of a fifty-foot-high gas This lack of attention may come from a flare, capping a mountain of asphalt tendency to think on a human scale covered by tanks and pipes — one of sev- and to emphasize larger species, usually eral oil refineries in southern Los Ange- mammals and birds. Yet research shows les County. The species itself is limited that even sites that might be otherwise to a three-hundred-acre Navy fuel depot derelict and degraded support signifi- with underground tanks, but the view cant invertebrate diversity. A survey of across the street reminds one of the twenty-six brownfield sites in England gates of hell. This is the paradox of in- — not necessarily as contaminated as vertebrate conservation in cities. Nox- American brownfields — found sixty- ious or extreme land uses have histori- three carabid beetle species, including cally protected rare and endangered two that are nationally scarce. Because

Fragments of habitat survive in even the most heavily industrialized areas. Small areas of such relict habitat can support important invertebrate communities. Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles, photographed by Travis Longcore.

SPRING 2008 9 er dunes scythrid moth (Scythris new sp. 2), El Segundo Jerusalem cricket (Steno- pelmatus new sp.), Dorothy’s El Segun- do dune weevil (Trigonoscuta dorothea dorothea), Lange’s El Segundo dune wee- vil (Onychobaris langei), a weevil with no common name (Cylindrocopturus new sp.), and, of course, the El Segundo blue butterfly (Euphilotes bernardino allyni). Although restoration of habitat in the early 1990s resulted in a dramatic in- crease in El Segundo blue numbers, a lack of management at the LAX dunes since 2001 has allowed the habitat to be degraded by invasive plants and the butterfly population there is declining. The El Segundo blue (Euphilotes bernar- Community-based restoration pro- dino allyni) spends much of its life in in- timate association with the flowerheads jects are creating new habitat for the El of seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvi- Segundo blue at other urban sites. Two folium). Photograph by Larry Orsak. remnant dune fragments tucked be- tween the beach and the street in the invertebrates have small body sizes, a cities of Redondo Beach and Torrance great number can persist on small frag- have been restored and were colonized ments, and because many invertebrates in 2007 by El Segundo blue butterflies are habitat specialists, small fragments from a backyard population over a in cities may represent relict habitats. thousand feet away. Previous research Taking off from Los Angeles Inter- had suggested that the species was quite national Airport (LAX), few travelers sedentary, but apparently its dispersal notice the scrub-covered sand dunes, powers had been underestimated. Al- crisscrossed in part by the streets of a though these restoration projects are long-abandoned neighborhood. This is aiding the butterfly, our previous re- a three-hundred-acre remnant of the El search shows that ground-dwelling arth- Segundo dune system. Fed by sand from ropods do not respond quickly to res- the Los Angeles River, it historically toration, so conservation of flightless stretched eleven miles along the Santa species will probably rely on human- Monica Bay. This remnant, where ear- aided introduction to restored habitats plugs are a necessary defense against or on the reinitiation of habitat man- outgoing jets directly overhead, is home agement on the LAX dunes. to at least ten rare or endemic inverte- To the public, relict urban open brates, including El Segundo crab spider spaces often appear to be wastelands to (Ebo new sp.), El Segundo goat moth be ignored, developed, or dumped on. (Comadia intrusa), Ford’s sand dune In the absence of a charismatic species moth (Psammobotys fordi), El Segundo such as a butterfly, conservation of ur- scythrid moth (Scythris new sp. 1), less- ban parcels can be a daunting challenge.

10 WINGS A scrubby dune system fifty miles in- land from San Francisco, Lange’s metal- land from Los Angeles is home to the mark butterfly (Apodemia mormo langei) only federally listed fly in the United contends with a different industrial use: States. The endangered Delhi Sands a gypsum factory, which routinely blan- flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas termi- kets portions of the habitat with a fine natus abdominalis) persists in a series of dust. Lange’s metalmark uses naked- fragments ranging from a few acres to a stemmed buckwheat as a foodplant and few hundred. Although the habitat is is limited to a dune system along the spectacular with showy flowers after San Joaquin River. The remaining habi- winter rains, its arid appearance in the tat is split in two by the gypsum plant. summer, when temperatures regularly Restoration efforts in the early 1990s led exceed one hundred degrees Fahrenheit to substantial growth in population, but (thirty-eight degrees Celsius), wins few the trend in the last five years has been fans outside naturalists and dedicated one of rapid decline from a maximum conservationists. The fly’s larvae burrow daily count of 2,342 butterflies in 1999 in the sand and adults emerge from the to 45 in 2006. Reasons for this collapse ground to mate, visit flowers, and lay are not fully identified, but the shifting eggs for the next generation. After years sands needed by naked-stemmed buck- of contentious discussion over the spe- wheat and other native plants have cies, the City of Colton has proposed set- been covered by a rapid expansion of ting aside the largest habitat in exchange exotic plant species, including a partic- for rights to develop other smaller frag- ularly troublesome species of vetch. ments. This core habitat is located next Emergency habitat restoration is ongo- to the cement plant at Slover Mountain, ing, as is a captive breeding program. a mountain that over the last fifty years Back at the Navy fuel depot in San has been slowly scraped to the ground Pedro, the number of Palos Verdes blue and transformed into Colton cement. butterflies each year has been volatile, Farther north, about forty miles in- ranging from thirty to more than three

The Delhi Sands flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis) is restricted to a few patches of sandy habitat. Photograph by Guy Bruyea.

SPRING 2008 11 hundred, but with no discernible trend. These steps toward recovery would The base commander has supported never have been possible without the restoration efforts and newly created protective umbrella of the millions of habitats have been successfully “seed- gallons of jet fuel in underground tanks ed” with butterflies in the past. Howev- across the street from a refinery. er, the plants that support the species Cities, and especially industrial dis- are early succession specialists and some tricts, are often overlooked by conser- other areas have lost the butterfly as vationists. An “all-or-nothing” view of larger scrub plants have elbowed out the natural value has led both scientists and pioneers. Long-term persistence will de- conservationists to concentrate instead pend on managing specific areas for on wilderness areas. But in an increas- food plants with some sort of distur- ingly urban world, we will need to find bance (fire is out of the question for ob- opportunities for helping species persist vious reasons). Ironically, the normal in areas closer to our backyards than operation of the fuel depot for forty majestic national parks. Isolated urban years probably provided such a distur- habitats are the only hope for Palos Ver- bance during the years when the butter- des blue butterfly, Lange’s metalmark fly’s presence at the site was unknown. butterfly, Delhi Sands flower-loving fly, A successful captive breeding pro- and the endemic insects of the El Segun- gram is underway with Palos Verdes do dunes. Invertebrates have persisted blue butterflies from the fuel depot. Re- in the forgotten fragments of our cities leases in much more scenic sites on the and, at times, nowhere else. We have Palos Verdes peninsula are planned. learned that viability of these habitats

Lying on the south shore of California’s San Joaquin River, the Antioch Dunes were once more than a hundred feet high and topped with scattered coast live oaks. Most of the dunes were mined away during the twentieth century, and what remains is greatly disturbed. Photograph by Edward S. Ross.

12 WINGS for the long term will require manage- ment to overcome the consequences of urbanization. Natural disturbance re- gimes are interrupted and often must be replicated, either by accident or intent, to maintain native habitats. The conse- quences of pollution, such as the gyp- sum dust that wafts onto the leaves con- sumed by Lange’s metalmark larvae or heavy metals deposited by departing aircraft on the El Segundo dunes, are not yet fully understood. Climate change threatens the urban survivors as well. With no space for range shifts in response to altered pre- cipitation or temperature, managers will Lange’s metalmark (Apodemia mormo have to track these conditions and de- langei) maintains a tenuous hold on sur- vise strategies to assist in colonization of vival at the Antioch Dunes. Photograph new habitat areas. For the Palos Verdes by Larry Orsak. blue butterfly, our preliminary analysis shows that annual abundance is posi- land uses that have protected these nat- tively correlated with rainfall during the ural areas from the bulldozer. In the early winter of the previous year. In ad- long term we must develop constituen- dition, adults are stressed by above-av- cies for sites that might never be con- erage temperatures during their spring sidered a romantic spot for a picnic. We flight period. The species is well adapted must prepare to fight to conserve them to short-term drought; its pupae can ex- in a future when the extreme land uses hibit multiple-year diapause, waiting for themselves are phased out. Public sup- better weather conditions to emerge. port can be difficult to develop, but as But in the laboratory most pupae die such habitats become established, vol- after a couple of years, suggesting that unteer programs can offer an opportu- long-term hotter, drier conditions would nity to fulfill the desire of so many be catastrophic for the species. Manag- urban residents to be active stewards of ing against the risk of such changes their communities. And therein lies means reintroducing the species to loca- preservation of little bits of wild. tions with slightly different topograph- ic conditions within its historic range where microclimate will be cooler and Travis Longcore is science director and wetter. Similar challenges face other rare Catherine Rich is executive officer of the species persisting on urban fragments. Urban Wildlands Group, a conservation To conserve invertebrate diversity, nonprofit based in Los Angeles. Longcore we should embrace and manage urban is also director of urban ecological research fragments. This often requires develop- at the University of Southern California’s ing ways to coexist with the extreme Center for Sustainable Cities.

SPRING 2008 13

Tiny Predators in Your Backyard

Greta J. Binford

Spiders grab our attention. Found al- evolved an arsenal of silk types, web most everywhere — in basements, back- structures, and venom chemistries. yards, and parks, and even high in sky- Perhaps these predatory tools, the scrapers — they bring forth in most peo- abundance (as many as a million indi- ple a range of response from fear to viduals per acre, by some estimates) and disgust to intrigue. Whatever your reac- the conspicuousness of spiders have in- tion, by the end of this essay I hope you fluenced our cultural legacy of fear of can see some of what I find fascinating these small animals. Often the first con- in spiders, and that you will be inspired cern people have in encountering a spi- by these little predators who are con- der is, is it poisonous? Venom is cer- stant companions in our daily lives. tainly something to be respected if not Spiders are members of the class admired. While the venom of a single Arachnida, a diverse group of inverte- spider can contain up to a thousand dif- brates that all have four pairs of legs and ferent components (some of which af- two major body regions (though these fect the nervous system of prey or break are fused in some groups and appear to down cell structures or tissues), only a be a single region). Other commonly subset of these are directly bioactive, encountered arachnids are harvestmen causing a physical or chemical reaction (or daddy longlegs), mites, ticks, pseu- in the recipient. On the whole, the doscorpions with venom in their tiny chemicals in spider venoms are target- claws, and scorpions with venom in ed toward insect prey, with the over- their not-so-tiny tails. whelming majority of spiders presenting There are roughly forty thousand no hazard to humans: either they never described species of spiders worldwide, bite people or their bites are harmless. and approaching four thousand species Two spiders in the United States in the United States. A single house and that do have the potential to deliver garden may support more than eighty dangerous bites are the brown recluse species. and the black widow. Despite wide- The vast majority of arachnids are spread fear of these spiders, few people highly efficient predators. In fact, they are bitten each year, and only a small perform an important ecological service proportion of these experience more by eating large amounts of insects. To than mild symptoms. Neither spider is be able to capture live prey they have aggressive; they are inclined to bite peo- evolved a phenomenal array of tools. ple (and who can blame them?!) only Many arachnids have the capacity to when trapped. produce venom or silk. Spiders have As its name suggests, the brown been around for at least 350 million recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) generally years and during that time they have keeps away from people. The recluse is

12 WINGS one of eleven closely related species in but their distributions extend into the the United States that live across the Midwest, up the Eastern Seaboard, and Southern and Midwestern states; the in dry areas of the West as far north as majority of species diversity is in the Canada. They build exposed tangled desert Southwest. They are all small and webs, leading to their retreats, with silk brown, with a distinctive violin-shaped threads that are relatively tough and marking on their backs (they are also twang like a guitar string when plucked. called fiddleback spiders). Fully grown, Their bodies are black and shiny, with the recluse has a legspan roughly equal the classic hourglass marking on their in length to the diameter of a U.S. quar- underside. Their venom contains an un- ter. In natural areas, they live under usual feature, a vertebrate-active neuro- rocks and logs, but have adapted well to toxin that enables them to catch small living in and around human habita- reptiles but also causes severe cramping tions. Active nocturnal hunters, they re- and pain in humans. treat during the day to small cottony Since their primary life agenda is not webs in cracks and crevices or other se- biting us or our pets, what are the spi- cluded spots. People vary in the severi- ders that we see busy doing? They spend ty of their reaction to bites, but venom much of their time catching dinner, of all species of Loxosceles can cause often using elaborate strategies. Once necrotic lesions. mature, males are pursuing females, The black widow is one of three often trying to convince them to mate species in the genus Latrodectus that live by using complex dances and displays. in the United States. Together, they If they have already mated, a female have a wider range in our country than may be guarding her eggs or tending her brown recluse spiders. Black widows are young, some by carrying them around most abundant throughout the South, on their backs. They also spend a sig-

Despite its fearsome reputation, the brown recluse (Loxo- sceles reclusa) avoids contact with people. Photographed in Oklahoma by Bryan E. Reynolds.

SPRING 2008 15 nificant amount of time doing appar- weaving spiders use different silk for dif- ently little, sitting still in webs or under ferent parts of the web. The silks come rocks, perhaps grooming themselves by from different glands in the silk-spin- pulling their legs through their jaws. ning organ, called the spinnerets. A sin- One of the most abundant and vis- gle individual orb-weaving spider can ible signs of spiders are their webs, make seven different types of silk, each whether strung over plants, across a coming from a different spinneret and doorway, or in the corner of a shed. each serving a different functional role. There are many different types of webs For example, the radii (or spokes) of an but orb webs made by members of the orb web are made from silk that is not family Araneidae are the most instantly very sticky (“ampullate” silk) whereas recognizable. Orb webs make a lot of en- silk for the spiral has gluey droplets on gineering sense. They are two-dimen- it to which prey stick (“aggregate” and sional structures that focus vibrational “flagelliform” silk). energy toward a central hub. The spi- A second group of web builders as- ders either sit on or maintain a silk-line sociated with houses are the Theridi- connection to the central hub, and are idae, or cobweb spiders. This is a large able to detect not only the presence, but family that includes the black widows also the size and activity levels of any- as well as numerous non-toxic species thing moving in the web, prey and that are among the most common spi- predator alike. Amazingly, most orb- ders in houses. Their webs are an irreg-

Different spiders construct a wide range of web styles and shapes, from simple spirals to complex tangles of silk. The feather-legged spider (genus Uloborus) makes one of the more distinctive webs. Photographed in Trinidad by Bryan E. Reynolds.

16 WINGS Located on the underside of the abdomen, a spider’s spinnerets can produce seven different types of silk. Araneus pima, an orb-weaving spider, wrapping prey. Photographed in New Mexico by Bryan E. Reynolds. ular tangle of silk from which lines with diamonds on the ground. Wolf spiders gluey droplets at the ends extend down are very common with different species and are attached to a surface below. out hunting during day or night. Hapless prey wandering on the surface Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) bump into them and break the tension provide great entertainment. They are of the silk, whereupon the glue sticks to active mostly in the daytime and may them, pulling them off of the ground as be found hunting on vegetation or on the spider dashes down to bite them the ground. Their acute vision means and encase them with silk. With this that they see you as well as prey, and hunting method, larger theridiids such some will turn and face you when you as black widows can capture lizards and get close. As their name suggests they snakes! The majority of species catch are excellent jumpers. Stalking prey ants, crickets, and other small arthro- much like a cat, they stop when they see pods (including other spiders). their quarry, then orient and slowly Not all spiders ensnare their prey walk toward it, before pouncing and with webs. Two of my favorite backyard grabbing it in their front legs and jaws. spiders, wolf spiders and jumping spi- They do use silk as a safety measure, ders, both actively wander and use their spinning a strand behind them when excellent eyesight to find and stalk prey. they jump. If they miss their target Agile and long-legged, wolf spiders while hunting in bushes and trees, the (family Lycosidae) use speed to catch strand will break their fall. prey. Their earth-tone colors and stripes Great eyesight helps both wolf spi- make them hard to spot during the day, ders and jumping spiders to hunt effi- but shine a flashlight across your lawn ciently, but they also use their vision in at night and you will almost certainly courtship. Many spiders have elaborate spot their eyes twinkling like tiny, blue courtship displays, but these two stand

SPRING 2008 17 Unlike web-building spiders, the free-ranging wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) do not have a home in which to shelter their young. Females carry their offspring on their backs as they hunt. Photographed in Oklahoma by Bryan E. Reynolds. out. Males in these groups dance for much we still don’t know about them. females by waving their legs and tap- It isn’t hard to discover entirely new ping them on the ground, sidling back things by simply taking the time to sit and forth, and sometimes slamming down and look at them. Most impor- their bodies on the ground. They may tant, a tremendous diversity of species also make sound by rubbing various hang out in houses, on porches, and in body parts together. Males have striking urban parks. They are accessible and vis- markings, tufts, and ornamentation, ible. They are our allies, eating the in- which in jumping spiders can be very sects that can attack your plants and colorful with reds, yellows, purples, suck your blood. I highly recommend blues, greens, and iridescence. (They that people of all ages acquire the habit have been referred to as the “butterflies of taking the time to benefit from the of the spider world.”) Females, of biology lessons, entertainment, and in- course, watch these courtship displays, spiration freely available from the spi- with vision so acute that they will re- ders in your own backyard. spond to video of males replayed on tiny televisions. Even though they can see you, if Greta Binford studies diversity and evolu- you catch them at the right time, spi- tion of spiders and their venoms. An assis- ders will proceed with their courtship stant professor of biology at Lewis and rituals right in front of you, offering a Clark College in Portland, Oregon, she has small window into the rich world of spi- been a recipient of the National Science der biology in urban areas. Foundation CAREER award and has been Spiders are inspiring to me because featured in the New Yorker and on Na- despite their ubiquity, there is so very tional Public Radio’s Science Friday.

18 WINGS Brownfields as Refuges

Matt Shardlow

Humans like to categorize what they en- waste, rubble, and byproducts of indus- counter. This tendency extends to zon- try. And all the while, we create more ing land for certain purposes. In Britain, incidental wildlife habitats. These types we designate natural areas for wildlife of habitat are generally referred to as to live in; countryside is where humans brownfield sites, a broader definition and wildlife coexist; and urban land is than that used in the United States, for people to use. This is fine in princi- where the term is usually restricted to ple, but what happens when wildlife more contaminated areas. does not follow the rules, and “our At the same time, our gentle grip on land” becomes essential for their con- the countryside has become much firm- tinued survival? er. Drainage, deep cultivation, fertilizers, Since the very earliest civilization increasing mechanization, and pesti- we have been dramatically altering the cides have stripped much of the wildlife landscape. We mine hundreds, if not from vast areas. Marginal sites often uti- thousands, of different substances out lized by rare species include habitats of the ground leaving all types of spoil such as bare ground, abundant flowers, heaps and holes. We build and demol- scrub and thickets, long grass, and un- ish. We dispose of dredgings, household kempt ponds and ditches. These areas

The shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) is one of three rapidly de- clining British bumble bee species that have important populations on industrial brownfield sites along the shores of the Thames Estuary. Pho- tograph by David Goulson, courtesy of Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

SPRING 2008 19 are now much more limited in the there is enormous demand for land for countryside. However, these habitats housing. Between 2006 and 2007, over occur on many brownfield sites, which 160,000 houses were built and there is are becoming increasingly important demand also for land for businesses, for a range of scarce invertebrates. For particularly for large distribution cen- example, in Britain the phoenix fly (Do- tres and warehouses. This places big de- rycera graminum) is almost completely mands on the available space. The cur- restricted to brownfield sites; the distin- rent British government is committed guished jumping spider (Sitticus distin- to making sure that the development guendus) is known only from two brown- does go somewhere, and, under great field sites; and the streaked bombardier pressure not to develop greenbelt or beetle (Brachinus sclopeta) only from one. greenfield land — widely perceived as There are thousands of brownfield being good for wildlife (although much sites that have great value for wildlife in of it is cropland) — set a key target that Britain. The most significant brown- 60 percent of all housing development fields pepper the county’s top ten sites should be on brownfield land. To date, for rare invertebrate species, competing the target is being exceeded: in 2005, 74 with much larger areas of conserved percent of new homes were built on natural and semi-natural habitats. Un- brownfields. fortunately, brownfields are proving to Nowhere is this collision between be a perilous sanctuary. Of the three national government policy and biodi- species mentioned, the spider is facing versity more strongly felt than on the development of both its homes and the Thames estuary to the east of London. beetle has been subject to a relocation The Thames estuary is the driest, and project to rescue it from its solitary one of the warmest, most sheltered home, a soon-to-be-developed brown- parts of Britain and it is home to rare field site in London. species of spiders, wasps, flies, bees, bee- England is a crowded country and tles, dragonflies, and a wealth of other

The streaked bombardier beetle (Brachinus sclopeta) is known in Britain from only one brownfield site. Photograph by Benoit Martha.

20 WINGS invertebrates. Known as the Thames that was decommissioned in 1973. This Gateway, this area has a long history of has left a ninety-three-hectare (230-acre) development and human disturbance, area which is quite varied in soil and and the government sees it as a key lo- vegetation structure with wet reedy cation for further development. areas, marshy floods, bramble patches, Along the estuary’s low-lying north saline flushes, ditches, ponds, sallow shore are some of the starkest examples carr, sparsely vegetated gravels, sandy of the destruction of natural habitats. banks, dry grassland, wet grassland, and Once, the transition from water to dry bare concrete. These habitats have now land passed through tidal mudflats and been colonized by at least thirty inver- thickly vegetated salt marsh, and into tebrates of the rare and at-risk species an area of rarely inundated upper salt listed in the Red Data Book, including marsh. Known as grazing marsh because three that until recently were thought it was used by livestock, this area was to have become extinct in Britain. Can- typified by bare sand and mud inter- vey Wick’s treasures include the brown- spersed with sweeps of flower-rich, low- banded carder bee (Bombus humilis), the nutrient grasslands, and it buzzed with five-banded weevil wasp (Cerceris quin- bees, wasps, and other specialized insect quefasciata), the Canvey Island ground life. Now, sea defenses consisting of a beetle (Scybalicus oblongiusculus), and the large mown bank or wall run across the scarce emerald damselfly (Lestes dryas). top of the tidal salt marsh, and the graz- A fight over the fate of Canvey ing marsh has been replaced by im- Wick, set off in 2003 by a proposed busi- proved farmland, housing, or industri- ness park development, actually led to al sites. the protection of most of the site. After But it is not all bad news for the action by Buglife — The Invertebrate wildlife of the Thames coast. Dozens of Conservation Trust, a British nonprofit, rare invertebrate species, including a the story was picked up in one of the good number of species that were once national newspapers (which nicknamed associated with flower-rich Thames the site “England’s rainforest” because grazing marshes, somehow survived of its endangered species), and the de- and have colonized disturbed sites such veloper, a government development as a military training camp, a huge agency, retracted the proposal. Two chalk quarry, and disused industrial years later, the bulk of the site was des- sites. Ironically, some of the sites where ignated as a Site of Special Scientific In- humans have had the greatest impact terest, thereby providing considerable on the visual appearance and surface protection from damage or develop- topography have become some of the ment. most important wildlife refuges. This is Another highly contentious brown- well illustrated by two sites in the field is West Thurrock Marshes, a place Thames Gateway region. even more amazing than Canvey Wick. Originally a coastal grazing marsh, Also once grazing marsh, the site was Canvey Wick was used as a dump for home to a coal-fueled power station sediments dredged from the Thames built after World War Two. Subsequent- and then developed for an oil refinery ly, large areas were covered by pulver-

SPRING 2008 21 The four-banded tailed digger wasp (Cerceris quadricincta) nests in bare ground and provisions its nest with weevils. It appears to be lim- ited to disturbed areas and waste ground where weevils are abundant. Photograph by P. R. Harvey. ized fuel ash, a byproduct of burning regulations for wildlife and open space, coal. Despite the disturbance, some but early in 2006 a planning application wildlife persisted in scraps of marginal- was submitted to develop a massive ized habitat on the site. After the power Royal Mail distribution center and lorry station closed in the early 1990s, this park. The situation was complicated by wildlife began to colonize the fuel ash the creation of an unelected local de- and the site now contains a mosaic of velopment corporation. Reporting di- bare ground, flower-rich grassland, rectly to the national government, the scrub, and salt marsh. It is one of the development corporation is tasked with richest and most important wildlife sites ensuring that development occurs in in the country. Species of particular the area. The corporation has the power note are the brown-banded carder bee to approve planning applications, and and the red-shanked carder bee (Bombus has taken planning decisions out of the ruderarius), bumble bees that depend on hands of local councils and communi- the large areas of flower-rich grassland; ties. The development will destroy over the distinguished jumping spider; and half of the site, including two-thirds of the salt marsh shortspur beetle (Aniso- the critically important flower-rich areas dactylus poeciliodes). It appears that there that support key insect species. Many is only one site in Britain that is home rare animals could be lost from the site to more rare invertebrate species, Wind- forever. A prolonged legal and political sor Forest, the centuries-old woodland fight over the development has ensued. around Windsor Castle. The initial court case supported the de- The West Thurrock Marshes were cision to grant planning permission, but designated under established planning as this article goes to press the fight is

22 WINGS not finally resolved, and an appeal may on the best of the existing sites, then be granted. Success for the advocates of there will be a future for many species the marshes would win the site a re- that would otherwise have been driven prieve, but it may still be vulnerable to to extinction in Britain. Society is capa- future development. Alternatively, legal ble of fixing the planning process and action will fail and the damaging de- achieving this. In 2007, the British gov- velopment will proceed, highlighting ernment accepted habitat mosaics on the feebleness of the protection afford- previously developed land as a new Pri- ed to endangered invertebrates by the ority Habitat. This is a clear recognition British planning system. If we can’t pro- of the importance of brownfield habitat tect what may be the nation’s second and its threatened future, and a strong most important site for rare inverte- signal that we need to take more res- brates, what is safe? olute action to ensure that the endan- One ray of hope presented by the gered biodiversity these sites support is brownfield dilemma is that these habi- given sanctuary. tats, which are now of such significance to endangered species, were created by humans. If we can continue to create Matt Shardlow is the director of Buglife — habitats that will support diverse inver- The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. To tebrate communities, and if we can pro- learn more about brownfield development tect and secure beneficial management in Britain, please go to www.buglife.org.uk.

continued from page 8 gists also can contribute to conservation by providing early identification of po- living in the city are looking for ways to tential exotic species invasions, as well reconnect with nature. as increasing awareness of species that For most entomologists, a perk of persist in cities. Encounters with urban their profession is being able to spend nature can shape human perception of long periods of time in nature, away urban environments; it is humbling for from the noise, traffic, and stress of many to realize that amidst the sky- cities. While urban research is far from scrapers of Manhattan, which are so em- quiet, there are numerous perks, which blematic of human ambition and self- in New York City included a constant importance, there are diverse insects availability of fresh-cut mangos in East quietly going about their business. It is Harlem, Italian ices in the Bronx, and equally comforting that humans aspire Mr. Softee ice-cream and Dunkin’ Do- to interact with, and continue to be in- nuts iced coffee throughout. More im- spired by nature, even in densely popu- portant, there is much to be discovered lated cities. regarding the basic biology of many urban insect species, including nesting sites, food resources, and other ecolog- Kevin Matteson is a postdoctoral teaching ical characteristics. Urban entomolo- fellow at Fordham University.

SPRING 2008 23 Magic in an Urban Stream

Celeste Mazzacano, Scott Hoffman Black, and Matthew Shepherd

Rising on the edge of Colorado’s Front ence site to which other creeks in the Range, Fossil Creek runs eastward, cut- urban area could be compared. ting through parts of Fort Collins. In But in late spring and summer, Fos- 1995, co-author Scott Hoffman Black sil Creek was hit by a one-two punch. was surveying sites along this and an- First, a rainstorm washed tons of soil other Fort Collins stream, Spring Creek, from a new subdivision into the creek. in an attempt to develop a water-quali- In places, the gravel was smothered ty monitoring protocol for the city. Fos- with up to four inches (ten centimeters) sil Creek seemed to be a good example of sediment, filling the gaps in which so of a quality urbanized stream. The water many aquatic insects make their homes. flowed over a bed of gravel and river Then, later in the summer, massive algae cobbles, with patches of sand and silt in blooms occurred, presumably due to fer- areas where the current slowed. Al- tilizer used on a golf course and lawns though the banks were steep due to upstream. Two insect species collected some channelization, riparian vegeta- before these events, a perlid stonefly tion provided shade as the creek mean- (Claassenia sabulosa) and a net-spinning dered from subdivisions into farmland. caddisfly (Arctopsyche grandis), were not Five months of surveys showed a diver- found again in the months following. sity of aquatic life. The presence of may- Similar stories have unfolded across flies, stoneflies, and caddisflies proved America. According to the U.S. Environ- it would be a worthy choice as a refer- mental Protection Agency, more than

The invertebrate life in streams can be used as indicator of stream health. As the condition of a creek changes, so does the commu- nity of invertebrates that it supports. Mayfly (Baetis tricaudatus) photographed in Pennsylvania by David H. Funk.

24 WINGS 80,700 miles (130,000 kilometers) of tebrates need to pupate and to escape streams and rivers in the United States predators as adults. Dewatering, a re- are degraded by urbanization. The duction in the volume of water flowing agency has identified soil erosion from in a stream, may be caused by water di- new construction as one of the leading version for domestic or industrial use, causes of water pollution in urban areas. or by a cut-off of groundwater flowing Less obvious than sedimentation into the stream. This loss of volume can but no less damaging to stream health alter the temperature and chemistry of is pollution. Most people have seen the remaining water, which in turn af- images of huge pipes dumping foaming fects aquatic organisms. or discolored water into a stream — or It is largely due to the invertebrates have even seen the pipes firsthand — but living in them that streams and rivers much urban pollution does not occur are biologically rich. At some stage in from a single source. Sidewalks, roofs, their life cycle over 90 percent of all roads, and parking lots shunt warm rain- freshwater fish species feed on aquatic water carrying silt, pet wastes, road de- insects and other invertebrates. (Their icer, motor oil, and other contaminants importance in stream food webs means directly into streams. In residential that aquatic invertebrates have a signif- areas, the quest for manicured, uniform icant economic impact: the U.S. Fish lawns or landscapes can have severe im- and Wildlife Service reported that fresh- pacts on creeks. A study in the Puget water fishing in the United States was Sound Basin found that more pounds of a $26.3 billion enterprise in 2006.) The pesticides were applied per acre in urban habitat degradation and declining water neighborhoods than on agricultural quality due to urbanization are mirrored fields. Similar studies conducted by the by a decline in invertebrate diversity. U.S. Geological Survey detected higher Among the first to disappear from urban concentrations of pesticides in urban streams are stoneflies, closely followed streams than those in farmland. by mayflies, caddisflies, crayfish, and Urbanization also results in chan- hellgrammites, leaving in their place a nelization or dewatering of formerly less charming but more pollution-toler- free-flowing creeks. When a creek is ant assortment of midges, worms, and channelized, invertebrate habitat is lost snails. due to destruction of pools and riffles. Because aquatic invertebrates are a The same channelization straightens vital component of stream ecosystems, out the stream meanders, reducing the tracking changes can be an important stream’s length. Often streamside ripar- tool in an effort to understand, con- ian vegetation is removed, reducing the serve, and protect urban waterways. supply of coarse organic material and Aquatic invertebrates have been used nutrients to the stream. This lack of veg- for water quality monitoring since the etation also increases the water temper- early 1900s, and over the last century ature due to reduction in shading, and they have been studied intensively as it de-stabilizes banks, which causes ero- indicators of the overall biological con- sion. The loss of riparian vegetation also dition of streams. Today, aquatic inver- destroys areas that many aquatic inver- tebrate monitoring is the most wide-

SPRING 2008 25 spread measure used to assess the health (more than twenty-six genera) of aquat- of the nation’s freshwater systems. ic invertebrates at one site. A survey of Some invertebrate species are very sen- the Columbia Slough near Portland, sitive to increased water temperature Oregon revealed three species of mus- and decreased oxygen levels; others sels — winged floater (Anodonta nuttal- may be more sensitive to heavy metals liana), Oregon floater (A. oregonensis), or to increased siltation from erosion. and California floater (A. californiensis) — Particularly sensitive taxa such as stone- two of which are rare and at-risk species. flies can act as early warning systems, Another reason for optimism is that with their disappearance serving as a damaged urban streams can be re- harbinger of declining water quality and claimed. Citizen interest in watershed habitat degradation. protection is growing, with local water- Yet there is some good news. Even shed groups engaging in effective insect the most profoundly altered urban monitoring and restoration activities. streams can still contain surprising bio- Some studies have shown that stream logical diversity, as well as provide for restoration is often associated with in- both fish and other wildlife. A study of creased diversity of aquatic inverte- urban streams in Fort Collins, Colorado brates. One site in Colorado which had found both high abundance (more than been restored with a pool, riffles, and ri- five thousand organisms per square parian vegetation consistently had the meter) and relatively high diversity highest diversity of aquatic insects of

Bank disturbance and erosion may be an obvious result of urbanization, but other, less obvious, impacts such as non-point-source pollution and increased water temperatures cause long-lasting changes in invertebrate populations. Photographed in Fort Collins, Colorado, by Scott Hoffman Black.

26 WINGS Populations of damselflies such as this arroyo bluet (Enallagma praevarum) may be hit twice by changes to a creek. As aquatic nymphs they rely on cool, clean water and as winged adults they utilize bankside vegetation, which is often lost during urbanization. Photograph by John C. Abbott. the six sites surveyed in the drainage. catch, or in the wildlife that riparian The Xerces Society is intensifying areas support. For children, the magic its efforts to protect aquatic inverte- may be in the insects they chase while brates. We continue to work with re- splashing around in creeks. gional watershed councils to provide Whatever the magic we see as indi- training and educational resources for viduals, streams and rivers have always invertebrate monitoring, including the held a central place in human society — CD-ROM Stream Bugs as Biomonitors: A as a place to find food, as a source of Guide to Pacific Northwest Macroinverte- water for domestic, industrial, and agri- brate Monitoring and Identification, which cultural use, or as an escape for relax- has been purchased by people in every ation — and now the majority of the state of the United States and several world’s population lives near or de- other countries. We are expanding our pends on these fragile areas. Freshwater work to address aquatic invertebrates in ecosystems occupy a tiny proportion of wetland habitats. The recently released the Earth’s surface and are greatly influ- CD-ROM Wetland Invertebrates: An Iden- enced by what happens elsewhere. They tification Guide and Educational Resource are, quite literally, downstream of every- for Pacific Northwest Freshwater Wetlands thing that takes place on the land. The is part of our ongoing effort to provide story of Fossil Creek is not unusual. The invertebrate-based tools for assessing invertebrates that dive, sprawl, graze, wetland quality. We are also preparing burrow, hunt, cling, and float in it (and a Red List of endangered aquatic inver- in thousands of other streams) are the tebrates of the United States to heighten living keystones of any aquatic ecosys- awareness of their plight and help gain tem, and we can’t afford to lose them. protection for the most vulnerable spe- cies before recovery becomes impossible. American naturalist Loren Eisley The authors work for the Xerces Society. said, “If there is magic on the planet, it Celeste Mazzacano is a conservation asso- is contained in the water.” For some ciate, Scott Hoffman Black is the executive people, the magic is in the clean water director, and Matthew Shepherd is a senior they drink, or in the fresh fish they conservation associate.

SPRING 2008 27

XERCESFEATURE NEWS

Congressional Briefing on Pollinators and Agricultural Security In April, the Xerces Society collaborat- bee research, noted that many of her ed with staff from Senator Barbara state’s crops, including almonds and Boxer’s office (D-CA) to present a Con- berries, are dependent on healthy polli- gressional Briefing on the current status nators. “There is so much for people of pollinators. The hour-and-a-half-long to be concerned about here,” Boxer said. briefing included a review of the Na- “Our food supply is under a grave tional Academy of Sciences report on threat.” the status of pollinators, as well as up- May Berenbaum initiated the brief- dates on colony collapse disorder in ing by talking about the importance of honey bees, research into native bees pollinators and why we should be doing and crop pollination, activities of the much more to ensure healthy pollina- Natural Resource Conservation Service, tor populations. and opportunities for legislative support Jeff Pettis, Zac Browning, and Rich- of pollinator conservation. ard Adee agreed that colony losses are Xerces Society executive director greater this year than last, primarily due Scott Hoffman Black was the moderator to colony collapse disorder. They said and the panelists included (in the order there is much more that needs to be that they spoke) May R. Berenbaum, done to understand and address the chair of the National Academy of Sci- problem. In the meantime, beekeepers ences Committee on the Status of North across the country are finding it ever American Pollinators and president of harder to stay in business. the Xerces Society; Jeff Pettis, research The NRCS, according to Doug Holy, leader for the USDA Agricultural Re- continues to increase their efforts to search Service Bee Research Laborato- help landowners implement pollinator ries; Zac Browning, president of the Am- conservation projects on the ground, erican Beekeeping Federation; Richard with new incentive programs and tech- Adee, board member, American Honey nical training for their staff and part- Producers Association; Doug Holy, na- ners. The Xerces Society is a major part- tional invasive species specialist at the ner in this effort. Natural Resources Conservation Service Mace Vaughan spoke about the (NRCS); Mace Vaughan, conservation need for additional research into crop director of the Xerces Society; and Tom pollination by native bees. He detailed Van Arsdall, public affairs representative what we know about the precipitous de- of the Pollinator Partnership. cline in some of our native bumble bee Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator species. Concluding the briefing, Tom Robert Casey (D-PA) provided opening Van Arsdall observed that it was excit- remarks. Senator Boxer, who is pushing ing to see such diverse interests — from for $100 million in federal funding for conservationists to federal agencies to

28 WINGS growers — coming together over this im- as well as into the role and habitat needs portant issue. of native species in crop pollination. All panelists agreed that there is a The Xerces Society is working with its need for additional funding to support partners to make sure that this funding research into declining bee populations, is made available through the Farm Bill.

Working to Protect Susan’s Purse-Making Caddisfly Susan’s purse-making caddisfly (Ochro- to increased nutrient concentration due trichia susanae) is an endemic species to livestock waste. Other threats include that is restricted to two sites in central the effects of timbering projects, de- Colorado. A micro-caddisfly, it moves watering of spring habitats due to in- slowly across rocks, eating diatoms creased water demand for livestock and scraped from the surface. Near the end surrounding cities, and habitat damage of its larval stage it uses small pebbles to from off-road recreational vehicle use. construct a case, or purse. The Xerces Society is working with This species is primarily threatened a coalition of scientists and conserva- by intensive livestock grazing, which re- tion groups to obtain protection of this sults in trampling of spring and ripari- rare species. To that end we have devel- an habitats, reduction and alteration of oped a comprehensive status review and riparian vegetation, increases in bank are working to achieve protection for instability. This, in turn, leads to an in- this caddisfly and its habitat under the crease in sediment and turbidity — and United States Endangered Species Act.

Butterfly-a-Thon Update In the gray of southwest Washington ative, with unseasonally wet and gray State’s new year, Robert Michael Pyle set conditions in California, Texas, and off in his trusty car, Powdermilk, laden Florida. However, starting with a Cali- with supplies and equipment. Initially fornia tortoiseshell in his own wood- heading west toward the coast, he then shed on New Year’s Day, Bob has seen navigated south through Oregon and 140 species of butterfly. He hopes to see California. Now four months into his hundreds more by the end of this year. Butterfly Big Year, Bob has skirted the You can follow Bob’s progress by United States’ border with Mexico and visiting his blog on the Xerces web site, the Gulf Coast to reach the southern tip www.xerces.org. As unconventional as of the Florida mainland. He meandered ever, Bob is not typing his blog but across Georgia and adjacent states to fol- mailing updates written on postcards, low spring across the southern states. note paper, even leaves! All of these can The last sighting of Bob was in Texas. be viewed at www.xerces.org, an enter- The weather has not been cooper- taining way to track his progress.

SPRING 2008 29 Xerces Staff Deliver Message Across the United States Xerces staff members have fanned out posium at the Entomological Society across the country, giving dozens of pre- annual meeting in San Diego, Califor- sentations to a wide range of audiences nia. Elsewhere in that state, we gave pre- from university students and master sentations to the California Board on gardeners to agency staff and land man- Food and Agriculture, the annual meet- agers, and also to a few scientific con- ing of the California Association of Re- ferences. source Conservation Districts and the Some of the more significant gath- Ecological Farming Conference. erings addressed were the International Our partnership with the USDA Pollinator Symposium held in Iowa, the Natural Resource Conservation Service Michigan Fruit and Vegetable Expo, and continued with seminars given in Vir- the Land Trust Alliance’s national meet- ginia and California. In Oregon, speak- ing in Colorado. ing engagements included Polk County The Society was responsible for or- Master Gardeners and the Oregon Zoo’s ganizing an insect conservation sym- Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series.

Xerces Society Offers New Publication Our new publication, Pollinators in Nat- ural Areas: A Primer on Habitat Manage- ment, provides a summary of the ways in which land managers can protect and provide habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. This eight-page booklet reviews the potential impacts of fire, grazing, mow- ing, herbicides, and insecticides, and provides a series of recommendations for how land managers can adjust their use of these management actions to benefit pollinators. It is available for download from our web site or can be purchased by contacting our office.

30 WINGS 2008 DeWind Award Winners The Xerces Society is pleased to an- the altitudinal range of ants, the domi- nounce the recipients of the 2008 Joan nant predators of Eios geometrid cat- Mosenthal DeWind Award for Lepidop- erpillars in the Andean mountains of tera Research and Conservation. Ecuador, in order to investigate the im- Allison Leidner, of North Carolina pacts of increases in global temperatures State University, is studying the popula- on ant-plant mutualisms and distribu- tion structure and movements of a new- tions of Lepidoptera. ly identified species of skipper (genus Kurt Illerbrun, of the University of Atrytonopsis) within heavily fragmented Alberta, also received an award for re- sand dune habitat along a thirty-mile search related to climate change. Work- stretch of North Carolina’s barrier is- ing in the Canadian Rockies, he will ex- lands. This work seeks to determine the amine the effects of an advancing tree effects of habitat fragmentation and ur- line on the distribution and abundance banization on the butterfly, and help to of spearleaf stonecrop (Sedum lanceo- identify conservation strategies for the latum), hostplant of the Apollo butter- species. fly (Parnassius smintheus), and relate Climate change is predicted to alter these effects to the herbivore pattern of species distributions, potentially dis- Apollo caterpillars. rupting relationships between different The Xerces Society congratulates all species. Genoveva Castañeda, of Tulane three recipients on their award and University, will experimentally extend wishes them all success in their studies.

WINGS, Spring 2008 Volume 31, Number 1 Wings is published twice a year by the Xerces Society, an international, non- profit organization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.A Xerces Society member- ship costs $25 per year (tax-deductible) and includes a subscription to Wings. Copyright © 2007 by the Xerces Society. All rights reserved. Xerces Exec- utive Director: Scott Hoffman Black; Editors: Scott Hoffman Black, Adair Law, Matthew Shepherd, and Mace Vaughan; 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 4828 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215 telephone 503-232-6639 fax 503-233-6794 [email protected] www.xerces.org

SPRING 2008 31 Not all spiders use a web to catch prey. Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are alert and active hunters that roam vegetation, using their excellent eyesight to locate and track their prey. Photographed in Oklahoma by Bryan E. Reynolds.

THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 4828 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215

Board of Directors Michael J. Bean Piotr Naskrecki May R. Berenbaum Scott E. Miller Paul A. Opler President Robert Michael Pyle Counselors J. Kathy Parker Charles L. Remington Paul R. Ehrlich Vice President Michael Samways Claire Kremen Linda Craig Cheryl Schultz John Losey Treasurer Thomas Lovejoy Scientific Advisors Sacha Spector Jerrold Meinwald Thomas Eisner Secretary Michael G. Morris E. O. Wilson

A $25 per year Xerces Society membership includes a subscription to Wings.

Ourcover photograph shows a web spun by a spider in the family Araneidae. Instantly recognizable, these flat, spiraling webs are the staple of children’s books and movies such as Charlotte’s Web. Photographed in North Dakota by Bryan E. Reynolds.