Racing Extinction Documenting Vermont’S Bee Species in the Anthropocene

FALL 2020

FVERMONiT CEeNTER FOlR ECdOSTUDIE S | NUniting Peopole and Scitence feor Consersvation

Racing Extinction Documenting Vermont’s Bee Species in the Anthropocene

| BY KENT MCFARLAND

arked by the world’s sixth mass extinction, we’ve en- Mtered a new era that many are calling the Anthropo- cene. At approximately 100 extinctions per million species annually, the current extinction rate is 1,000 times higher than the natural rate–and many species are disappearing before we even know them. A recent United Nations report revealed that human activity now puts one million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction. Among insects alone, we have named about one million species worldwide, with an estimated five million remain- ing to be discovered and classified. And, we don’t need to IN THIS ISSUE travel to exotic locales to find them. Surprising as it may be, we are still discovering species page 3 new to science–insects and other taxa–right here in Ver- Vermont Moth Atlas | mont. The ground beetle Bembidion rothfelsi was discovered A Community Pulls Together in 2008 by Dr. David Maddison in Bridgewater, birthplace for Grassland Birds | page 4 of Zadock Thompson, Vermont’s first official naturalist. In page 6 D 2020 Loon Update | N

A 2011, three new springtail species were discovered by Dr. L

R Species Spotlight | page 12

A Felipe N. Soto-Adames, who collected two on a sandy beach F C M

along Lake Champlain and one in a newly constructed . P . K wetland. In 2010, the Green Mountain (continued on page 10) Pruinose Squash Bee ©

VTECOSTUDIES.ORG FIELD NOTES VCE VIEW

Fall 2020 • Volume 13, No. 2

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chris Rimmer ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Susan Hindinger DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Karen Bourque CONSERVATION BIOLOGISTS Steve Faccio Eric Hanson Jason Hill

Kent McFarland T N E G

OUTREACH NATURALIST R A S Sara Zahendra L E A

BUSINESS MANAGER H C I

Mistie Boule M

© DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Sarah Carline iven the profound turbulence and and Whip-poor-wills has taken on new SOFTWARE DEVELOPER uncertainty that have pervaded urgency, as the climate crisis looms large Jason Loomis G every aspect of life in recent months, it for all of us. DATA TECHNICIAN is heartening to report—in no uncertain Nathaniel Sharp We may not know whether we’ll fully terms—that VCE maintains a steady, reoccupy our Norwich office in 2021, VERNAL POOL & GRASSLAND strong course. Despite staff having had BIRD COORDINATOR but we do know the year ahead will Kevin Tolan to shelter-in-place since mid-March, feature key additions to our core team. In communicating weekly (or more often) January, a new Director of Conservation via Zoom, we’ve adapted remarkably ECO AMERICORPS MEMBERS Science and our first-ever senior Data well, and in many respects gained Pete Kerby-Miller, Julia Pupko Scientist will bolster the VCE ranks. cohesion and purpose from the challenges BOARD OF DIRECTORS By mid-year, we’ll bring on a PhD-level Peter Brooke, Chair COVID-19 has thrown our way. We fully Celia Chen, Nan Cochran, Bill acknowledge, and are deeply grateful Conservation Biologist, enabling us Hayes, Bob Holley, Jared Keyes, for, VCE’s relative insulation from the to pursue new lines of cutting-edge Stephanie McCaull, Chris research. And by year’s end, we’ll add a Rimmer, William Schmidt pandemic’s harshest impacts, and we sincerely believe that we have leveraged science writer to the communications DESIGN this good fortune to further advance our team to ensure that our findings translate Wendy McMillan conservation science agenda. to effective messaging beyond the peer- The Vermont Center for Needless to say, most of us at VCE reviewed journals—reaching policy- Ecostudies (VCE) is a nonprofit have, like so many others, found personal makers, natural resource managers, and organization whose mission is to advance the conservation of solace and rejuvenation via deeper, you, our constituents. wildlife across the Americas more frequent forays into the natural As we collectively navigate this period through research, monitoring, world. Simultaneously, “business” and community engagement. of struggle, facing so many unknowns, With a reach extending from has proceeded apace. Our wildlife VCE’s ambitious mission compels us Canada and northern New conservation work has taken on new to grow, and diversify. Our attention is England through the Caribbean dimensions, and gained added meaning and South America, our work appropriately drawn to emergent public for us. Our commitment to become a unites people and science for health issues and the needs of others, conservation. more diverse, equitable and inclusive but the clarion call for science-based organization (see vtecostudies.org/about- Field Notes is VCE’s conservation rings louder than ever. We biannual newsletter and is us/dei-statement) represents a small, free to our constituents. but significant step. Several developing will answer that call with energy, resolve, and profound gratitude for the support partnerships hold great promise. On the scientific front, our Vermont Atlas of Life of so many who find a way to participate VERMONT CENTER in and support VCE’s work, even in the FOR ECOSTUDIES continues to push boundaries, from wild FN PO Box 420 bees, to lady beetles, to a hemispheric midst of a global pandemic. Norwich, VT 05055 expansion of eButterfly. Monitoring Chris Rimmer (802) 649-1431 of vernal pools, mountain birds, loons, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

vtecostudies.org Printed on recycled paper Black-Bordered Lemon Moth

mont Moth Blitz for National Moth Week, where moth-lovers across the state turned on special lights to find hundreds of moths and other insects gathering on sheets, hunted fields and forests for day-flying moths, and placed rotten fruit bait out to attract other moths.

Currently, the most up-to-date moth checklist for Vermont stands at 1,955 species.

Few have been more critical to the Vermont Moth Atlas than this year’s recipient of the Julie Nicholson Com- munity Science Award, JoAnne Rus- so. One of the region’s foremost moth experts, JoAnne has helped keep the taxonomy of the Moth Atlas up to O S

S date, and never fails to alert us when U R

E a new moth for the state is reported N N

A and confirmed. Such new discover- O J ies, like the Black-bordered Lemon © Vermont Moth Atlas Moth found during Moth Week, or the Moths represent an astounding array of diversity in Vermont impressively large, ominously-named Black Witch, contribute to the more | BY NATHANIEL SHARP than 400 new species of moths that have been discovered in Vermont rom miniscule “micro-moths” that are only a few millimeters long, to impres- since publication of the 1995 faunal Fsive giant silk moths like the famous Cecropia Moth that stretches a full six checklist. inches from wingtip to wingtip, moths represent an astounding array of diversity While some of these new discov- in Vermont. These beautiful, mostly nocturnal insects have inspired a statewide eries have been made by moth experts network of moth-watchers who have amassed a monumental amount of data over with years of experience, plenty have the years. been made by curious naturalists with We at the Vermont Atlas of Life wanted to gather all of Vermont’s moth data a porch light and cell phone camera. in one place and update the Faunal Checklist of Moths and Butterflies of Vermont, Thanks to the availability of field published in 1995. By pooling entomologists’ and moth-watchers’ personal re- guides like the Peterson Field Guide to cords and collections with records from the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNatural- Moths of Northeastern North America, ist, we’ve compiled the most comprehensive collection of Vermont moth data to and the robust artificial intelligence date. Whether you’re a dedicated moth-er who stays up late to diligently watch and crowd-sourced identifications on your black light and moth sheet, or a casual naturalist who noticed a Luna Moth iNaturalist, determining what species that visited your porch light, if you took a photo of a moth and uploaded it to the of moths are visiting your backyard Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, you are a valued contributor to the Vermont has never been easier. Currently, the Moth Atlas. most up-to-date moth checklist for In 2019, one in five species reported to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist Vermont stands at 1,955 species, and were moths–a whopping 1,090 moth species in total! In 2020, more than half that with your help, we’re sure that num- number of species were reported during a single week during the annual Ver- ber will keep going up! FN

vtecostudies.org FALL 2020 | 3 G N

VCE's new Grassland I N

Ambassadors sign posted N A M

on The Mile-Around Y

Woods property in North K C E

Bennington. B © A Community Pulls Together For Grassland Birds

ollege campuses aren’t generally with field age, in some cases doubling Cknown to provide prime habitat for within ten years. rare wildlife species. Bennington College Less than a mile from Bennington in southern Vermont offers an exception College’s campus is The Mile-Around to that rule. For more than a decade, Me- Woods, a private preserve managed by lissa West and the groundskeeping team The Fund for North Bennington and Conservation partnerships at Bennington have stewarded campus neighboring landowners. The preserve help steward grassland bird greens to provide valuable habitat for features a network of walking trails the continental U.S.’s fastest declining and a 50-acre hayfield. Last year, Becky management. avian group: ground-nesting grassland Manning, who lives adjacent to the | BY KEVIN TOLAN birds. The college’s long-term focus on field, organized a group of community grassland bird management–by delay- members concerned with conserving ing mowing their fields until the end of a section of the field for grassland July/early August, when the birds have birds. The group was able to strike an finished nesting–has allowed a small agreement with the farmer who hays population of Eastern Meadowlarks the field to delay mowing ~20 acres. to persist in harmony with the campus This past spring, this former grassland community. In addition to meadowlarks bird “population sink” was abuzz with benefiting from this sustained manage- Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows. ment, local Bobolink densities increased By promoting grassland bird-friendly

4 | FALL 2020 vtecostudies.org NEW FACES AT VCE SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Community Science Outreach 2020

Naturalist T N E

JULIA PUPKO G

R Brlík, Vojtěch, et al. (incl. Mc- A S

We are pleased

L Farland, K.P., Rimmer, C.C.) E

to introduce our A 2020. Weak effects of geolocators The college’s H C new ECO Amer- I on small birds: a meta-analysis M long-term focus iCorps Commu- © controlled for phylogeny and on grassland bird nity Science Outreach Naturalist, Julia publication bias. Journal of An- management—by Pupko. Julia’s childhood connection imal Ecology 89(1):207-220 doi. delaying mowing with the outdoors near Buffalo, New org/10.1111/1365-2656.12962 York inspired her to pursue a degree in their fields until the This study explores the effects of Environmental Sciences with a focus attaching tracking devices to different birds have finished on Wildlife Biology at the University landbird species on apparent survival, nesting—has allowed of Vermont. Here at VCE, she looks condition, phenology, and breeding a small population of forward to answering your questions performance. Authors describe a weak about eBird, iNaturalist, eButterfly, and effect on apparent survival of tagged Eastern Meadowlarks a whole lot more. Welcome, Julia! birds, provide recommendations for to persist in harmony effect size assessment in future stud- with the campus Mountain Ecology Technician ies, and outline various aspects of tag- PETE KERBY-MILLER ging that need further investigation. R

community. E

We are equally pleased L L I G

to introduce Pete Ker- M Rimmer, C.C., J.D. Lloyd, K.P. N - I Y N by-Miller as our inau- B

N haying practices to provide habitat for McFarland, D.C. Evers, and R A E K M

species undergoing sharp range-wide gural ECO AmeriCorps O.P. Lane. 2020. Patterns of blood E Y T K E C declines, Grassland Ambassadors Mountain Ecology mercury variation in two long-dis- P E

© like Becky and Bennington College Technician. Hailing are helping to keep Bobolinks and from Michigan, Pete earned a degree in Mansfield, Vermont. Ecotoxicology Savannah Sparrows, and occasionally Environmental Studies and Conserva- 29, 1174–1182 doi.org/10.1007/ the much rarer Eastern Meadowlark, a tion Biology from Middlebury College. s10646-019-02104-3 vital part of Vermont’s landscape. With Here at VCE, Pete’s work will focus on VCE led an investigation into mercu- sites set on long-term management, broadening participation in our moun- ry (Hg) blood concentrations in Bick- these conserved lands are poised to tain ecology programs. Welcome, Pete! nell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and pay dividends to the birds that nest Swainson’s Thrush (C. ustulatus) from in their grasses for years to come. In Vernal Pools and Grasslands 2000−2017 on Mt. Mansfield, Ver- a state where forests dominate the KEVIN TOLAN mont. No clear temporal trends existed landscape and hay cropping has become You may remember in atmospheric deposition and thrush increasingly intensive, refuges such as Kevin Tolan—Maine blood Hg, nor did the study reveal these are ever more important for these native, University of evidence of a relationship between the highly vulnerable species. Vermont alumnus–who two. To better evaluate the validity of Bicknell’s Thrush as a bioindicator of Conservation can happen joined VCE last fall as methylmercury (MeHg) availability in anywhere, and anyone can be its our ECO AmeriCorps montane forest ecosystems, the study driving force. VCE’s Grassland member tasked with the © NATHANIEL SHAR P recommends (1) effects-based investi- Ambassadors program works split position of Vernal gations, (2) a more robust understand- with landowners, farmers, and Pool Monitoring Project Coordinator ing of Hg and MeHg cycling, (3) more conservationists, who collectively have and Grassland Bird Landowner Outreach research on geospatial and temporal helped to conserve hundreds of acres Technician. Well, Kevin’s still with us, links between Hg deposition and biotic of grassland bird breeding habitat. We but now officially on staff! Kevin will uptake, and (4) more thorough docu- aim to strike a balance between the continue his work with the Vernal Pool mentation of Hg burdens across the needs of birds and humans by offering Monitoring Project and the New England species’ annual cycle. technical advice on monitoring and Grassland Ambassadors program, coordi- management strategies. To learn nating, training, and assisting volunteers For a complete list of our publica- more about promoting grassland and landowners who wish to become tions, please visit vtecostudies.org/ bird conservation, please email stewards of these unique and vulnerable scientific-publications [email protected]. FN ecosystems.

vtecostudies.org FALL 2020 | 5 S E M L

It's hard to believe this little O H

brown loonlet will someday L U A P

be a magnificent adult loon.

Vermont © Loons n the midst of a global pandemic, Vermont loons provided some much-needed in 2020 Inormalcy in 2020. VCE was fortunate that our loon field season could proceed much like any other summer’s. While in-person volunteer interactions were greatly Unlike humans, reduced and outreach programs restricted to webinars, VCE and our community loons had a relatively loon enthusiasts still managed to fix nesting rafts and put out nest warning signs “normal” year during an unusually busy boater season. Loons responded with another strong nesting performance. | BY ERIC HANSON Loon productivity in 2020 was slightly lower than last year’s record-breaking tally of 101 nests. Of the 95 pairs that attempted nesting, 65 successfully hatched 102 eggs, with 75 chicks surviving through August. Vermont’s chick survival rate of 74%, or 0.56 chicks surviving per territorial pair, continues to eclipse average chick productivity in North America, which falls around 0.52 surviving chicks per territorial pair. Competition for a limited number of available nest sites, predation from eagles, and interference from “intruder” loons are slowing Vermont’s rate of population growth–a natural process as we edge closer to carrying capacity. Regardless, it can be hard to be objective when “your” loons are not successful. S E

M This year’s drop in productivity can be explained by fewer nesting attempts and L O

H lower success rates. Thirty-three pairs “took the year off,” possibly due to marginal

L U

A available habitat, late-season mate-switches, or low water levels. Dam repairs neces- P

6 | FALL 2020 vtecostudies.org

one-third its normal size, and low water if he could see any fishing line; he said levels on Molly’s Falls Reservoir ma- “Yes,” and that he was looking up (on his rooned two nesting rafts on shore. They phone) who to contact. I raised my hand. were too heavy to move through one-foot Another volunteer and photographer, deep muck, so we built two new ones in a Nancy Nutile-McMenemy, saw the loon hurry–and good thing we did, because both again in late August on Amherst Lake rafts were occupied and three chicks made with a single strand of line in its mouth. it through the summer. Predation, mostly We expect that this loon was likely able by mammals, seems to be the number-one to migrate to the coast. cause of nest failure, but eagles and ravens One unusual twist in an otherwise are also likely culprits. Further, territorial typical season was that six loon pairs disputes can take a toll on breeding suc- initiated nests in late June or early July, cess. The Lowell Lake pair bred twice and resulting in several late July hatches. lost all four chicks for the second year in Three of these late nests were on Somer- a row–three after territorial disputes, and set Reservoir, which is the only Vermont one to unknown causes. reservoir required by its license to hold Thankfully, we had only one rescue water levels steady for loon nests. It can

attempt this summer. An adult entan- be really tricky to balance minimum flow S E

gled in fishing line was first reported on requirements and maintain water levels M L O H Colby Pond in late June, then subse- during a drought year. The engineers and 2020 VERMONT COMMON L U

quently observed on nearby Lake Rescue staff at Great River Hydro (GRH) once A P

LOON STATS and Amherst Lake. Its normal behavior again did an outstanding job to ensure © suggested that the line was not interfer- success for the loons. Henry Dandeneau, ing with diving, eating, preening, or fly- Nicki Steel, and Jane MacKugler con- ing. As a precaution, volunteer Charles ducted many extra surveys at hatch time 358 134 ADULTS TERRITORIAL Davis and I drove down to assess the so we could update GRH promptly. PAIRS bird’s condition. We surveyed Amherst, We could not possibly complete all S

E Echo, and Colby lakes–and found all de- our sign buoy and raft work, respond to M L

O void of loons. We arrived at Lake Rescue distress calls, and monitor both nests H 95 65 L to find photographer Christian Lagen- and loons without the incredible devo- U NEST SUCCESSFUL A P hocher quietly watching a loon pair tion of hundreds of volunteers. Thank ATTEMPTS NESTS © through a big lens. I paddled up to ask you once again for another great year. FN 4 1 RE-NESTS VERMONT LOONS: BREEDING ACTIVITY 1978-2020 SUCCESSFUL RE-NEST

140

130 2020: 95 nesting pairs

75 chicks surviving G

N 120 I 134 territories 42 102 V

I CHICKS

V NESTING RAFTS 110 R HATCHED U DEPLOYED S 2004: 43 nesting pairs

S 100 44 chicks surviving K C I 64 territories 34 RAFTS USED

H 90 C (74% successful) D 80 N A

, t

S 75 n 70 u R I o 1994: 14 nesting pairs 31 ISLAND NESTS CHICKS A C P 60 17 chicks surviving (74% successful)

G SURVIVED

N 23 territories I

T 50 THROUGH S E

N AUGUST

23 MARSH NESTS , 40 1983: 7 nesting pairs

S Total known and potential

E (70% successful) (74% successful) I 9 chicks surviving territorial pairs

R 30

O 12 territories Nesting pairs T I

R 20

R 7 SHORELINE NESTS E Chicks surviving T 10 (14% successful) F O

# 3 0 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0

7 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 50 NESTS WITH NEW NESTING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 WARNING SIGNS PAIRS YEAR

vtecostudies.org FALL 2020 | 7 JULIE NICHOLSON COMMUNITY SCIENTIST AWARD

JoAnne Russo joined iNaturalist in 2012, and

has since recorded 1,068 N O

moth species in Vermont R I B and helped identify almost Y R

y parents bought me my first field guide, and I used my grandmother’s Bumble Bee Atlas survey in 2012/2013. “Mo pera glasses to identify the birds I was seeing,” JoAnne recalls as an early In 2019, JoAnne joined Trish Hanson memory of watching birds at the feeders of her family home in Winsted, Connecti- (retired Vermont Forest Health Ento- cut. She also remembers, on numerous occasions, hearing a commotion at the feed- mologist) in curating the state’s insect ers and witnessing hordes of Evening Grosbeaks devouring sunflower seeds. “Their collection, now housed at the Vermont bright yellow plumage certainly lit up the winter days.” Agriculture & Environmental Labora- As a child, JoAnne was fascinated with nature and liked to collect beetles, but tory. And last (but not least), JoAnne they weren’t allowed in the house–dead or alive! She entered college at the Universi- continues to serve as an official counter ty of New Hampshire as a wildlife management major, but graduated with a fine arts at the annual Putney Mountain Hawk- degree. Nature inspired her artwork then, and still does today. watch raptor count. Data collected there JoAnne and her husband, Gerry Biron, moved to Rockingham, Vermont in 1993. are part of the Raptor Population Index, Fall, winter, and spring seasons were devoted to exploring the area and finding new a database of raptor population trends in birds. “I started entering my lists in eBird in 2006 and continue to this day,” said Jo- the Northeast. Official counters sub- Anne. Summers needed to be filled with some outdoor distraction since birding was mit their data to eBird and the Hawk slow, and JoAnne found herself seduced by moths. “I decided to survey all the moth Migration Association of North America species that were attracted to the lights at my house. In the end, I counted almost (HMANA). 1,000 different species.” She joined iNaturalist in 2012, and has since recorded 1,068 Joanne Russo’s contributions to moth species in Vermont and helped identify almost 26,000 entries for other iNatu- better understanding the conservation ralist moth observers. Joanne noted, “I am so happy that Kent McFarland has put so status of Vermont's wildlife (especially much time and effort into getting our Vermont Moth Atlas off the ground.” moths) have been extraordinary–and for JoAnne remarked that when she found herself wrapped up in moths, she discov- this, the staff and board of VCE are proud ered how important community scientists are to broaden knowledge of insect, bird, to present JoAnne with the 2020 Julie and wildlife populations across the state. Southern Vermont was woefully under-re- Nicholson Community Scientist Award. FN ported for moth species, since most surveys have been conducted elsewhere in the state. “I have also given moth presentations to many nature groups around Vermont The Julie Nicholson Community Science Award honors Julie Nicholson’s extraordinary passion and hopefully have encouraged more community scientists!” and commitment to birds and wildlife conserva- Beyond her amazing work with moths, JoAnne teamed with Vermont Master tion through her many years of tireless work as a community scientist. It is presented annually to Gardener and naturalist Alma Beals in the first year of the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid an individual who exemplifies Julie’s dedication to survey in southeastern Vermont, and she and Gerry participated in VCE’s Vermont the cause of community science and conservation.

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VCE COMMUNITY SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR S A G N A G

S E L R A H

tions—appropriate and logical as they were—greatly complicated MBW survey- ing efforts. Although MBW participation fell to its lowest level since we started keeping track in 2001, one observer still managed to safely and compliantly survey three routes. If you didn’t encounter him during your day hike this past June, you’d be forgiven—you’d have needed infrared goggles and a much earlier start to see Jason Crooks hiking up a couple of his routes at 3 a.m. Four hours later, Jason was on his way back down before most hikers had hit the trail. This dedication is far from new for Jason; he has annually surveyed multiple MBW routes since 2007, and he currently surveys a route on Worcester Mountain (elevation 3293’) and two routes on Mt. Mansfield (4393’) with his stepson Sage. Jason also conducts annual surveys through our Forest Bird Monitoring Pro-

H gram, and he monitors a falcon nest up on S I V

E Nebraska Notch on Mt. Mansfield as part S K

U of Audubon Vermont’s Peregrine Falcon L

Jason Crooks his home base of 12 acres in Westford, Unwavering commitment to mountain birds. Vermont, with his wife, Michaela, whom he met during Peace Corps operations To further recognize the accomplishments and dedication of volunteers who contrib- in Africa. Jason and Michaela strive to ute to our science and conservation work, VCE has created a new annual award–VCE be good stewards of their land to ensure Community Scientist of the Year. We are pleased to present the inaugural 2020 award that all pieces of the ecosystem remain to Jason Crooks, Mountain Birdwatch community scientist extraordinaire! intact–when they’re not paddling, digging VCE biologist Jason Hill, who oversees the Mountain Birdwatch (MBW) pro- in their big garden, or tending to their bee gram, offers the following tribute in honor of Jason Crooks’ unwavering commitment hives. to the program, especially in the face of a global pandemic. When asked why he participates in MBW, Jason replied, “I love being out in BW community scientists go above and beyond, typically contributing 30 the woods. Why not spend time there not Mhours of their time each June to the project. MBW surveys start before dawn, only enjoying, but gathering data for valu- so observers customarily hike in the night before and camp overnight. Our 2020 able long-term studies? I look forward to season, however, had a wrench thrown into the works by the COVID-19 pandemic. spring each year, partly because I know In June, many trails (e.g., the Long and Appalachian Trails) and management units I’ll be sitting quietly on a mountainside (e.g., Mansfield State Forest) were still closed to all overnight camping. Backcoun- listening for my avian friends to return.” try shelters and lean-tos are often required for overnight stays in the mountains, On behalf of VCE and the birds, thank and the risk of virus transmission was just too high. Needless to say, these restric- you Jason, and congratulations. FN vtecostudies.org FALL 2020 | 9 BEES continued from page 1

Metallic Sweat Bee Subgenus Dialictus D N A L R A F C M

. P . K

Quillwort (Isoëtes viridimontana) was natural world around us. discovered by amateur Vermont bota- From our inception, VCE has been nist Michael Rosenthal, and it is only a leader in identifying and mapping known from a single mountain lakeshore.

D Vermont’s biodiversity. Enlisting a legion N

A The Green Mountain Maidenhair Fern of “community naturalists” to support L R

A (Adiantum viridimontanum), a specialist

F our efforts, we have spearheaded ground- C M

of serpentine soil, was first described in

. breaking atlas projects on breeding birds, P . K 1991 by Dr. Cathy Paris in the northern butterflies, bumble bees, and vernal ©

Green Mountains. pools. Yet, these worthy efforts represent In 1842 Zadock Thompson wrote, “... a mere fraction of the state’s natural her- Pruinose Squash Bee but of the great majority of insects scarce- itage. For many biological groups there ly anything is known either good or evil.” The diminutive native exists no reliable assessment of their This still rings true today. I once asked the Pruinose Squash Bee is an distribution, abundance, or population late Dr. Ross Bell, a revered entomologist important pollinator for the trends. VCE’s solution to this informa- cucurbit family of plants (e.g., at the University of Vermont, how many tion gap was to create the Vermont Atlas squash, cucumber, watermelon, invertebrate species he thought might ex- of Life (VAL). With more than 5.3 million and pumpkin). This bee’s entire ist in Vermont. After a few minutes of lit- occurrence records representing nearly life cycle revolves around erally scribbling and figuring on the back 10,500 species, and growing, VAL has squash flowers: in the morning of an envelope, he responded, “21,400… quickly become the central library of when flowers are open, females but who really knows?” knowledge on Vermont’s biodiversity, collect pollen and deposit their As human activity profoundly with open access for all. bounty in underground nests alters the map of life on local and global nearby, and in the afternoon scales, our knowledge of plant and TACKLING A NEW FRONTIER: males rest inside the closed animal distributions across the land- BEE DIVERSITY flowers. VCE volunteers have scape and over long periods of time The Vermont Atlas of Life recently helped find and document this gains greater urgency. We can’t respond launched its most ambitious biodiver- species across Vermont. effectively to climate change, natural sity project yet: the Vermont Wild Bee disasters, invasive species, and other Survey (VTBees). Although previous environmental and economic threats estimates suggested that over 300 without a deep understanding of the species of wild bees inhabit Vermont,

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COMMUNITY SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES

no one had ever conducted a statewide Spencer even found rare bees in his

own garden. For the past few years he’s R survey to verify this number. VTBees E G N represents the first step toward compre- planted tomatillos and ground-cher- I D N hensive bee conservation in the state. ries, because both plants are visited by I H

a number of specialist bees (and have N Joined by the Vermont Fish & Wild- A S U

great-tasting fruit). At least two of these S life Department, Stone Environmental, and more than 90 dedicated volunteer specialists showed up in Spencer’s gar- © naturalists, in 2019 we amassed an im- den, including the first state record for a You don’t need a pressive collection of over 10,000 wild sweat bee that is rare enough to have no background in science to bee observations from the shorelines of common name, Lasioglossum pectina- be a Community Scientist! Lake Champlain to the alpine summit tum. “How widespread these species are From backyards and bogs to of Mount Mansfield. Even with this in Vermont remains an open question; mountains and meadows, you'll bounty of bee records from 2019, many one that can be tackled by making a lot find many ways to get involved survey sites and new species remained of salsa verde,” says Spencer. and make a real contribution to be discovered in 2020. Each day of field surveys necessi- to wildlife conservation. If you'd rather not muck around However, like so many other aspects tates several days of painstaking lab a swamp or hike to a summit, of life, our VTBees project fell prey to work, poring over specimens through a you can still volunteer for VCE— operational impacts from the coronavi- microscope. Identifying each bee to spe- even from the comfort of home. rus pandemic. Unable to enlist the help cies can be extremely tricky. Thankfully, of our small army of community scien- several experts are helping VCE work We hope you'll join us! tists for the 2020 field season, VCE biol- through our thousands of specimens. ogist and VTBees coordinator Spencer We’re also cataloging and identifying iNaturalist Vermont Hardy traversed the state like a solitary over 10,000 historic bee specimens from Volunteers share observations of all bee himself, as he surveyed backyards, public and private collections; these Vermont biodiversity in this digital gardens, and rare plant communities, will enable us to peer back in time and project of the Vermont Atlas of Life. discovering a new bee species for the examine trends for certain species. www.inaturalist.org/projects/ state every week or two along the way. In addition to bees collected during vermont-atlas-of-life Spencer’s efforts yielded at least a dozen field surveys, volunteers seeking solace new native species, including one previ- in the outdoors during the pandemic Mountain Birdwatch ously unrecorded in the eastern U.S. We added a record number of bee obser- also documented two new introduced vations to the Vermont Atlas of Life on Each June, volunteers hit the trails iNaturalist this past season. Over 500 to complete bird survey routes on bees, Taurus Mason Bee (Osmia tau- 123 mountain ridgelines across rus) from Europe and Viper's Bugloss observers added nearly 5,000 bee records the Northeast. from across the state in 2020. Thanks to Small-Mason (Hoplitis anthocopoides) vtecostudies.org/projects/ from southeast Asia—the first one found identifications from world experts like mountains/mountain-birdwatch in New England. What effect, if any, Dr. John Ascher, 79 species were verified these bees will have on native popula- from photographs alone, including the tions is not known. Sunflower Burrowing-Resin Bee (Paran- Vernal Pool Monitoring Spencer didn’t have to go far from thidium jugatorium), discovered and photographed by Kevin Hemeon around In April, May, and September each home to make new bee discoveries. year, volunteers visit and collect data Visiting a Montpelier backyard, he Bennington, Vermont. to monitor “adopted” vernal pools turned up Vermont’s first record of We now estimate that there are over following protocols and using using the Constrained Cuckoo Carder Bee 350 wild bee species in Vermont. With VCE-provided equipment. (Stelis coarctatus). This species is a nest our knowledge of wild bees and their vtecostudies.org/projects/forests/ vernal-pool-conservation parasite of resin bees (Heriades), which conservation in Vermont still in its nest in old beetle holes in dead wood. By infancy, the information we garner over leaving a pile of logs and brush in their the next few years will serve as a guide To learn more about the Vermont backyard, the homeowners may have for research and conservation strategies Atlas of Life and its projects, visit for these amazing insects far into the unintentionally created perfect habitat vtecostudies.org/volunteer for both of these native bees. Anthropocene. FN vtecostudies.org FALL 2020 | 11 NON-PROFIT ORG U. S. POSTAGE VERMONT CENTER FOR ECOSTUDIES PAID PO BOX 420 PERMIT NO. 73 NORWICH, VT 05055 Wht Riv Jct, VT

Polished Lady Beetle (Cycloneda munda)

in length and spends its days snacking on aphids and insect larvae in habitats ranging from agricultural fields to forests and shrubby fields. Based on a Michigan study, C. munda seems to prefer deciduous and brushy habitat, although the species will also utilize crops such as alfalfa and corn. The tiny C. munda I found was definitely in prime habitat—a small, over- grown field surrounded by forest, with scattered dogwood, buckthorn, eastern redcedars, and

T numerous goldenrods. T O I The Polished Lady Beetle has shown indi- L L E cations of sensitivity to non-native lady beetle E U S populations. This may be caused by a few fac- © tors: established non-native lady beetle species usually grow faster and become larger than Polished Lady pon slowly peeling my net open, I jumped C. munda, allowing them to outcompete Beetles are one of Uas a grasshopper and several honey bees C. munda for food; further, some non-native 33 historically zoomed out. Sweep netting (walking transects species are predatory on C. munda eggs and lar- documented while thwacking vegetation with a net, then vae. A 23-year study noted that C. munda popu- native lady beetle inspecting the contents) was going to take some lations declined sharply following the introduc- species occurring getting used to. A glimmer of orange caught my tion of two non-native species in different years, in Vermont. eye, and excitement replaced contemplations with the local C. munda population dropping to on the odds of a grasshopper lodging itself in my half its original size in the first years following | BY JULIA PUPKO nostril: I had caught a lady beetle! the introduction of Harmonia axyridis (Multi- The beetle in question was a Polished Lady colored Asian Lady Beetle). Beetle (Cycloneda munda), one of 33 histor- Sadly, the Polished Lady Beetle is not alone ically documented native lady beetle species in its susceptibility to introduced lady beetle occurring in Vermont. The wing covers are a competitors. This, combined with habitat loss solid light red to orange color—one of only three and widespread use of pesticides, has led to species in the U.S. devoid of spots. The prono- sharp declines of many native species. tum (behind the head) is black, with a white Hope is not lost! Through projects such as pattern resembling drawn-on antennae or a VCE’s Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas, we can learn fancy letter “M.” more about our native species and how to best This particular species can grow to 6.2 mm support them before they vanish. FN

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