Essays on Invertebrate Conservation

WINGS ESSAYS ON INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

THE XERCES SOCIETY SPRING 2013 CONTENTS

Wings continues to evolve, as we introduce three new features: a conservation spotlight, invertebrate notes, and a staff profile. Fittingly, this issue is dedicated to change, with articles on metamorphosis, citizen scientists monitoring environ- mental events, and our efforts to protect a rare butterfly in a changing landscape.

Change Scott Hoffman Black Page 3.

The Wonder of Metamorphosis Piotr Naskrecki The transformation from immature insect to adult may be one of the most remark- able occurrences in nature. Page 5.

The Pendulum Swings: Citizen Science and Conservation Rich Hatfield Amateur naturalists have contributed much to our understanding of natural his- tory. Citizen-science projects continue that tradition. Page 11.

Saving a Rare Butterfly, Step by Step Scott Hoffman Black Achieving protection for disappearing insects is seldom a quick task. Xerces has been working for a decade to save Taylor’s checkerspot. Page 16.

Conservation Spotlight The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum. Page 21.

Invertebrate Notes A roundup of new books and recent research. Page 23.

Staff Profile Meet Mace Vaughan, the director of our pollinator conservation program. Page 25.

Xerces News

Updates on Xerces Society projects and successes. Page 26.

 WINGS Change

Scott Hoffman Black

Alter, adjust, convert, diversify, evolve, larger staff has brought with it a broad- metamorphose, modify, revolutionize, er range of knowledge and expertise, switch, transform. All of these words are which in turn has allowed us to work synonyms for “change,” to which this more effectively to protect endangered issue of Wings is dedicated. Of course, species, provide habitat for pollinators, change is all around us. Our seasons and conserve aquatic invertebrates. change with regularity, our kids change With our growing staff, Xerces has as they grow, and all of us change con- been able to renew our commitment siderably as we get older. There are pro- to the protection of monarch butterfly found changes in store for our entire overwintering sites in California—in- planet as the climate becomes warmer cluding the annual Thanksgiving mon- over the coming years. arch count, a citizen-science project that Organizations experience change monitors the numbers of butterflies at as well. In a little more than a decade, these sites—and to launch Project Milk- Xerces has grown from a handful of em- weed, through which we encourage the ployees to a staff of twenty-five working planting of milkweed across the mon- across the United States. This growth archs’ breeding areas in both the eastern has enabled us to establish offices in five and western United States. states, which greatly expands our capac- Over the last couple of years our ity to collaborate closely with conserva- ­citizen-science activities have expanded tion partners across the continent. Our to embrace other, very different groups

No animals symbolize change as much as butterflies, with their dramatic transformation from crawling caterpillars to flying adults. Pipevine swal- lowtail (Battus philenor), photographed by Bryan E. Reynolds.

SPRING 2013  of insects: dragonflies and bumble bees. to help you be better informed and en- Xerces is a founding member of the gaged. Each issue will contain a longer ­Migratory Dragonfly Partnership, which feature article and two shorter essays. is working with citizens in Mexico, the The magazine will include more content United States, and Canada to better un- directly relating to our work as an orga- derstand dragonfly migration across nization, a spotlight feature describing North America. The MDP is collecting the work of one of our partners who information through the Pond Watch are making a difference in invertebrate and Migration Monitoring projects. conservation, and a brief profile of one We have also started an initiative of our staff members. We hope you will that gathers information about bumble enjoy the new shape of the magazine. bees, with a focus on imperiled species. We also hope that you will let us know This has already yielded great results in what you think of the changes. allowing us to better understand the To kick off this transition we are conservation status of these bees. Over honored that Piotr Naskrecki (author of the course of the coming months, we several essays for Wings over the past few will work with partners to expand this years) has penned the feature article, successful program significantly, broad- an evocative essay on metamorphosis ening its focus to collect sightings of all accompanied by his stunning photo- of North America’s bumble bee species. graphs. The other two articles focus on In addition, the Society has dra- work undertaken by the Xerces Society. matically increased the range of our pol- The first describes the expansion of our linator conservation program. Over the citizen-science projects for bumble bees last five years Xerces has presented more and migratory dragonflies. The second than a thousand Pollinator Conserva- details our decade-long effort to protect tion Short Courses, field days, farm con- the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly. ferences, workshops, and other events, Our inaugural “Conservation Spot- reaching more than twenty thousand light” provides an overview of the work farmers and other agricultural profes- being done by the arboretum of the sionals. Tens of thousands more people University of Wisconsin–Madison to have been addressed through our publi- protect and promote bumble bees, while cations—including Attracting Native Pol- our first “Staff Profile” introduces you linators—and our web-based Pollinator to senior staff member Mace Vaughan, Conservation Resources Center. Xerces’ director of our pollinator conservation work with farmers and the USDA Natu- program. We are also introducing an ral Resources Conservation Service has “Invertebrate Notes” section, highlight- led to more than 120,000 acres of habitat ing recently published books, new and improvements for pollinators. interesting web sites, and noteworthy re- In keeping with the changing times, search from the last several months. The Wings is also undergoing a process of issue is rounded off with “Xerces News,” evolution. Our goal is to keep the best of our regular presentation of updates on the current Wings—the same small for- the Society’s programs and activities. mat, handsome imagery, and high-qual- All of us here at Xerces hope you ity writing—while adding new content enjoy the new and improved Wings!

 WINGS The Wonder of Metamorphosis

Piotr Naskrecki

It is almost one in the morning and here I am, still waiting with my eye glued to the viewfinder of the camera. In front of the lens the female nymph of a pray- ing mantis hangs upside down from a branch, about to undergo a remarkable transformation. Soon she will leave her juvenile exoskeleton and emerge as a fully fledged adult, ready to embark on the final phase of her life. At last the mantis arches her back and an almost imperceptible fracture appears just be- hind her head, along the back of her long, neck-like pronotum. Her head emerges from the exoskeleton, followed slowly by her pronotum and the rest of her thorax, which now carries two pairs of small and shriveled wings. Gentle, rhythmic, peristaltic move- ments of her musculature push her new, adult body, millimeter by millimeter, out of the old, dead, chitinous ghost of her former self. Her enormous prey- grasping, raptorial front legs and long Hanging motionless from its old exoskel- antennae slide out first, followed by the eton, a mantis may take an hour to harden second and third pairs of her spindly before it can move. African praying man- walking legs. Now all that holds her at- tis (Sphodromantis lineola), photographed tached to the empty exoskeleton is the by Piotr Naskrecki. very tip of her abdomen. She pauses and will remain like this, hanging motion- hardening fast), she would certainly less, for about an hour. During this time end up disfigured, with her appendages the cuticle of her new exoskeleton will twisted and unusable. harden enough to allow her to move her At last, in one quick upswing mo- legs and climb the branch she is hang- tion, the mantis grabs the branch above ing from to complete the expansion of her head and breaks the last connection her newly acquired wings. If she were with her old exoskeleton. She now hangs to fall off now, with her new skeleton from the branch by her front and middle still soft and malleable (though already legs, and those crumpled wings begin

SPRING 2013  A larva of the Dracula ant (genus Amblyopone) looks nothing like its adult sister. Photographed in Papua New Guinea by Piotr Naskrecki. to expand rapidly. With air and hemo- I have been fascinated with insects lymph (blood) pumping into their tra- my entire life, and have watched similar cheal frame, her wings appear to grow, scenes unfold countless times, but I am turning into long, white veils that will yet to tire of this miraculous spectacle. eventually fold neatly onto her back. There is nothing in human biology and With this accomplished, the most dra- behavior that compares to the process of matic event of this mantis’s life is over. arthropod molting and metamorphosis, As she sits next to her empty nymphal nothing that will allow us to relate to the “skin” (the “exuvia,” in entomological dramatic transition from one stage of parlance) it is hard to believe that this development into another—and often large, winged insect was once trapped remarkably different—stage. Our birth, inside. Looking closely at the structure as dramatic an event as it is, merely rep- of her body I can see not only her huge resents a moment of emergence as a fully new wings, but also three small, lens- formed individual following a period of like structures on her head; these are steady gestation in the womb, with vir- the “ocelli,” simple eyes that will help tually all organs and senses already in her orient herself while flying. On the place. Human development is boringly underside of her body now sits her cy- gradual, with no instantaneous mor- clopean ear, formed as a deep groove be- phological transformations to punctu- tween her middle legs, which will allow ate the passage from childhood to ado- her to detect ultrasonic calls of hunting lescence, from adolescence to puberty. bats; and her abdomen now carries fully We do not grow or lose an extra set of developed reproductive organs. None of appendages overnight, and we cannot these structures were apparent on her replace our skeleton if the old one be- body just a few hours ago. comes too small. We eat essentially the

 WINGS same food as children that we do when chrysalis, from planidium to grub, from we are adults, and we live in exactly the pupa into winged adult—and every day same environment. a large percentage of them die in the None of this is of course a bad thing: process. Why do it, then? there is safety in this uneventful con- The answer to this deceptively stancy. As beautiful and fascinating as simple question is twofold. The physi- arthropod metamorphosis might be, it cal reason for molting —“ecdysis,” a includes moments of profound vulner- process that marks the transition from ability: weak and immobile, a molting one stage of an arthropod’s life cycle praying mantis can be killed by a small into another—is clearly dictated by the cricket— its own future prey — and a nature of its skeletal structures. Unlike hawk moth emerging from its pupal case a vertebrate’s internal skeleton, which can only try to crawl away from danger, provides muscle attachments and does unable to fly as it waits for its powerful not constrain the growth of tissues sur- wings to become functional. Every day, rounding it, an arthropod’s chitinous untold trillions of arthropods undergo exoskeleton has a limited ability to ex- metamorphosis — from caterpillar to pand and must be shed periodically to

Immediately after emerging from the nymphal skin, adult insects pump fluids to expand their wings and other newly exposed body parts. Freshly emerged cicada clinging to a clay turret built by its nymphal stage in prepa- ration for emergence, photographed in Suriname by Piotr Naskrecki.

SPRING 2013  accommodate growing tissue and newly between the adult and larval stages of appearing organs. The process of molt- arthropods, and sometimes between ing involves a complex sequence of cel- larval stages of different ages. Ento- lular events, including “apoptosis,” a mologists classify insect developmental process of programmed cell death that cycles into three broad categories: ame­ eliminates structures that will be un- tabolous, hemimetabolous, and holo- necessary during the next developmen- metabolous. The simplest one is ametab- tal stage. Molting is regulated by a series olous development, found in such prim- of hormones, primarily the protho- itively wingless (“apterygote”) insects as racicotropic hormone, which initiates firebrats and silverfish. In these lineages the molt; ecdysone, which controls the the young individuals differ from repro- formation of new tissue; and juvenile ductive adults only in size, and molting hormone. In immature stages, juvenile continues indefinitely, even after the hormone suppresses ecdysone’s effect insects reach sexual maturity. (A simi- of triggering the development of adult lar pattern of development is found in structures, whereas the ultimate molt other arthropods, such as crustaceans.) and metamorphosis into adulthood is In hemimetabolous insects, immature controlled by yet another hormone, forms may resemble adults in their gen- eclosion hormone. eral body structure, but lack wings and Even more interesting is the rea- reproductive organs, and may lead a son for the often dramatic differences lifestyle different from that of adults; for example, dragonfly and damselfly nymphs are aquatic and use external gills for respiration. But most hemi- metabolous insects have nymphs very similar to adults in their form and func- tion—a young grasshopper looks like a grasshopper, even if it lacks wings and external hearing organs, and it usually feeds on the same things that its parents do. Not so in holometabolous insects such as beetles, butterflies, or wasps: their larvae are so drastically different from the adults that it is often nearly im- possible to identify them as members of the same species. The typical sequence of holometabolous development in- cludes an egg, a mobile larva whose only goal in life is to eat and eat some more, an immobile and nonfeeding pupa, and A butterfly chrysalis is perhaps the most a reproductive adult (“imago”). readily recognized symbol of insect meta- morphosis. Chrysalis of a leafwing (genus In a process known as “hypermeta- Anaea), photographed in Suriname by morphosis,” some insects, often those Piotr Naskrecki. parasitizing other species, have a highly

 WINGS This series of images shows three of the four phases of holometabolous in- sect development: larva, pupa, and adult. The egg is not shown. Ground beetle (Dicaelus dilatatus), photographed by Piotr Naskrecki. mobile larval stage known as the “plan- and reproduction (adult), during which idium,” which actively searches for its the immature stages do not compete host before turning into a more typical directly for resources with the adults feeding larva. or each other, holometabolous insects A cursory glance at the diversity and have been able to dominate most of the species richness of insects with hemi- world’s terrestrial ecosystems. While metabolous versus holometabolous a young praying mantis occupies the development immediately reveals that same niche and competes with its par- those with the latter have been far more ents for the same food, an algae-filtering successful: beetles alone, with more mosquito larva might as well live on a than 350,000 described species, vastly different planet as far as its nectar- and outnumber all hemimetabolous insects, blood-feeding parents are concerned. and the evolutionary success of wasps, Entomologists sometimes refer to moths, and flies is similarly staggering. larvae of holometabolous insects as “di- It appears that by finely partitioning gestive tracts on caterpillar treads,” an their life cycle into periods of feeding apt description for organisms, such as (larva), major body restructuring (pupa), caterpillars of the tobacco hornworm

SPRING 2013  moth, that are capable of increasing kingdom rivals the drama of the rapid their body mass by 1,500 percent be- transition from an apparently lifeless tween two molts. But once the feeding pupa into a high-flying adult insect. time is over, a larva molts into a pupa Humans have always been fasci- and its no-longer-needed larval struc- nated with insect metamorphosis, al- tures, such as the prolegs along the body though it took a surprisingly long time of a caterpillar or the enormous abdo- to unravel the mystery of how a caterpil- men of a beetle grub, either are elimi- lar turns into a butterfly. It was not until nated through apoptosis or undergo 1699, when the Dutch naturalist Maria remodeling in order to serve new func- Sibylla Merian sailed to the shores of Sur­ tions. New structures, such as wings or iname, that anyone documented in de- large compound eyes, along with their tail the process of insect metamorpho- corresponding neural networks, are de- sis. Her exquisite illustrations were the veloped from clusters of cells known as first scientifically accurate depictions “imaginal disks,” which have remained of life cycles of caterpillars and moths. inactive until this point, and all these Merian’s work pointed the way toward extraordinary changes take place in- modern understanding of metamorpho- side a dormant, seemingly lifeless pupa. sis, with all the intricacies of hormonal Once the remodeling is completed, a regulation of gene expression and the flying sex machine emerges. From this significance of competition between point on feeding is a secondary func- species living within the same niche. tion, needed only insofar as it increases We are able to use this knowledge the chance of successfully mating or lay- to better understand our own develop- ing eggs. In fact, many insects such as ment, to elucidate the evolutionary his- cecropia moths eschew food entirely as tory of arthropods, or to develop more adults, relying on the reserves left from effective insecticides. But, although we their larval period. now fully understand the mechanism Arthropods, with their rigid exter- of insect metamorphosis, for many of us nal skeletons that force them to molt the sense of wonder at this most amaz- periodically, are not the only animals ing natural spectacle endures. And this that undergo metamorphosis in the is why I am still looking through my course of their development. Fresh­ camera at a molting mantis at four in water clams and oysters start their lives the morning. as tiny, soft-bodied larvae — some of which are parasitic on gills of fish for a brief period—before gradually turning Dr. Piotr Naskrecki is an entomologist, into sessile adults, safely ensconced in photographer, and author, based at the calcareous shells. Some marine snails Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard start as pelagic larvae, propelled with University. His research focuses on the evo- wing-like lobes of their translucent bod- lution of katydids and related insects, and ies. Even some vertebrates—amphibians the theory and practice of nature conser- are the best-known example —undergo vation. As a photographer, Piotr strives to metamorphic changes during their de- promote appreciation and conservation of velopment. But nothing in the animal invertebrate animals.

10 WINGS The Pendulum Swings: Citizen Science and Conservation

Rich Hatfield

Some of our most significant scientific Over the last century, science has discoveries were spearheaded by scien- become an increasingly professional tific amateurs. The use of the word “am- pursuit, seemingly appropriate only ateur” can evoke thoughts of inexperi- for those who have undertaken formal ence, but amateur scientists were often training. This transformation has con- experts in their fields and provided tributed to improved standards for sci- seminal observations: prime examples entific practice and the development include Benjamin Franklin, Charles of the peer-review process; it has also Darwin, Thomas Edison, Gregor Men- provided access to expensive technical del, and John Ray. Their discoveries, equipment. There are drawbacks, how- arising not out of professional obligation ever: the professional scientist typically but stemming instead from curiosity or has publishing and teaching obliga- an affinity for a particular topic (after tions, and research questions are often all, amateur means “one who loves”), limited in scope by funding sources, ge- advanced knowledge and changed our ography, and available personnel. understanding of the natural world. If the twentieth century saw an in-

Training workshops, such as this one in the monarch grove of the Ardenwood Historic Farm, prepare citizen scientists to continue a tradition of skilled amateur natural histo- rians that stretches back for centuries. Photograph by Carly Voight.

SPRING 2013 11 crease in the professionalization of sci- citizen-science efforts has skyrocketed. ence, the pendulum may now be swing- There are projects for which local enthu- ing in the other direction. The tradition siasts are recruited to submit their obser- of amateur natural historians continues vations of birds (Project FeederWatch, into the twenty-first century, with self- Backyard Bird Count, ebird), insects motivated individuals providing criti- (Great Sunflower Project, Lost Ladybug cal expertise for many less-studied taxa. Project, Beespotter, Monarch Watch), To stretch budgets and expand their plants (National Phenology Network, reach, organizations and professional Project BudBurst), mammals (Bat De- scientists are tapping into this wealth tective, Project Squirrel), and fungi of knowledge and turning once again to (Mushroom Observer). There are also amateur scientists to collect data. web sites to help establish research proj- Citizen-science projects are not new, ects, recruit volunteers, and document nor have their contributions to science biodiversity (Project Noah, iNaturalist). been small. The Audubon Society has Not only are citizen-science proj- just conducted its 113th Christmas Bird ects swelling in popularity, they are Count, and the National Weather Ser- increasingly influential in the scientific vice Cooperative Observer Program is community. A quick keyword search for celebrating its 123rd year. The Fourth of “citizen science” in the Web of Science, July Butterfly Count, started in 1975 by a scientific-journal database, shows the Xerces Society and now run by the just a handful of articles in this realm North American Butterfly Association, published before 1996. Since then the is nearing its fortieth year. These long- number of articles per year has grown term datasets have made essential contri­ rapidly; nearly a hundred were published butions to our understanding of climate, in 2012. Data from citizen-science proj- ecology, and wildlife conservation. ects are being used to find rare organ- Since the late 1990s, the number of isms, track migration patterns, detect

Digital photography and the internet can connect citizen sci- entists with national experts. Photograph by Susan Carpenter, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum.

12 WINGS Citizen-science projects allow close-up encounters with wildlife that otherwise might only be glimpsed as it flash- es by. Photograph by Alexa Carleton. species declines, create climate-change gaged in three major programs that di- models, and discover the complex ge- rectly benefit from the participation of ometry of biochemical molecules. hundreds of engaged citizens: the Mi- Another factor driving the increase gratory Dragonfly Partnership, Project in citizen science is the transformation Bumble Bee, and the Western Monarch to an increasingly digital society. Nearly Thanksgiving Count. Engaging citizens half of the U.S. population has a smart- in its work is nothing new for the Soci- phone capable of collecting data nearly ety. In addition to having originated anywhere in the country. With such the Fourth of July Butterfly Count, over widespread computing power, citizen the last two decades Xerces has played a scientists can quickly submit valid, geo- leading role in local community moni- referenced data. Furthermore, citizen toring of creek health using aquatic in- scientists can easily share their findings, vertebrates and, more recently, in sur- including photographs, through social veying freshwater mussels in the Pacific networking, and add to their knowledge Northwest. via accessible web content and project The Migratory Dragonfly Partner- collaborators. Data collection is thus ship, a collaboration among dragonfly fun, informative, and easy. experts, non-governmental organiza- The Xerces Society is currently en- tions, and federal agencies, is working

SPRING 2013 13 Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), photographed by Christy M. Stewart, a participant in Xerces’ Project Bumble Bee. to understand dragonfly migration in ally, we launched a project in 2012 to North America and to promote conser- collect information about nest loca- vation of the wetland habitats on which tions; data from more than a hundred dragonflies rely. The group is develop- nesting sites of eleven different species ing an international network of citizen of bumble bees have already been sub- scientists to investigate dragonfly mi- mitted. Xerces is using this information gration via three avenues: Pond Watch, to identify the current distribution of Migration Monitoring, and the Stable imperiled species, to reach out to state Isotope Project. In 2012, more than two and federal agencies, and to educate the hundred people submitted 725 reports, public about the importance of protect- and six hundred specimens were col- ing bumble bee populations. This proj- lected for stable-isotope analysis. The ect is now expanding. In collaboration knowledge gained expands our under- with Wildlife Preservation Canada, the standing of dragonfly migration routes University of Ottawa, and the Montreal and timing in North America. These Insectarium, the Bumble Bee Watch web contributions also will be useful in fo- site is being developed through which cusing future conservation efforts. people will be able to identify all North The second citizen-science project American bumble bees, and to submit managed by Xerces focuses on bumble sightings of any bumble bee or nest. bees, in particular tracking the status of The Western Monarch Thanksgiv- four rare species across North America. ing Count, in which a dedicated team of Under the umbrella of Project Bumble volunteers has been conducting annual Bee, more than twelve hundred citizen surveys of overwintering monarchs at scientists have participated since 2009, sites in coastal California since 1997, generating eighty-six verified records engages around a hundred participants of the four species of interest. Addition- each year. At some sites, this work has re-

14 WINGS vealed a greater than 80 percent decline social activities that will help to gather of monarchs over the past fifteen years, the evidence that we need to document a striking finding that has spurred wider and preserve biodiversity. interest in the conservation of western As more people participate in citi- monarchs. Data from the Thanksgiving zen science, we are maintaining the count have been used by citizens seek- tradition within which many of our ing to protect monarch overwintering fundamental scientific discoveries were habitat from housing developments, made. By changing bystanders into par- and by scientists wanting to better un- ticipants and engaging people directly, derstand changes in the monarch popu- we have the opportunity to re-establish lation and the contributing factors. a more universal reverence for the natu- Citizen-science projects have the ral world and to become better stewards capacity to increase scientific literacy, of our planet. build social capital in our communities, and enable new discoveries. Involve- ment in such projects provides an op- Rich Hatfield is a conservation biologist portunity for almost anyone — from with Xerces’ endangered species program. expert taxonomist to enthusiastic vol- Find more information about Xerces’ unteer—to engage in educational and citizen-science projects at www.xerces.org.

Data collected by volunteer monitors for more than a decade has pro- duced a detailed picture of the status of monarchs overwintering along California’s coast. Photograph by Carly Voight.

SPRING 2013 15 Saving a Rare Butterfly, Step by Step

Scott Hoffman Black

On October 11, 2012, the U.S. Fish and the director of our pollinator program), I Wildlife Service proposed that the Tay- had made the ninety-minute drive from lor’s checkerspot butterfly be listed as Portland south to Corvallis through Ore­ endangered under the Endangered Spe- gon’s Willamette Valley. We met Dana cies Act. Such protection is vital to the Ross, a local lepidopterist, at a trailhead recovery of this beautiful butterfly, and, and hiked up to a small meadow. As we while it is something to celebrate, this crested the hill, we were met with one success is just the latest installment in a of the most extraordinary sights I have sustained effort that stretches back more ever seen: filling the air were hundreds than a decade. of brightly colored butterflies, each One of my earliest—and most mem- marked with a checkerboard pattern in orable—encounters with Taylor’s check- orange, white, and black. Some males erspot was on a warm spring day in were defending their territories and 2003. With Mace Vaughan (then a con- working to find mates. Other butterflies servation associate for Xerces and now were nectaring on wild strawberries,

The aptly named checkerspot butterflies are distinguished by the orange, white, and black patterns on their wings. Taylor’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori) nectaring on wild strawberry, photographed by Rod Gilbert.

16 WINGS The correct host plants for females to lay eggs on and for caterpillars to eat are essential components of butterfly habitat. Invasive species can crowd out the host plants. Photograph by Rod Gilbert. and many were simply sitting and bask- protected under the U.S. Endangered ing in the morning sunshine. All of this Species Act. The dramatic decline in was taking place in an area of less than known sites and the lack of information an acre. about this butterfly led Xerces to con- Making this occasion all the more duct a survey for Taylor’s checkerspot special was the knowledge that we populations in Oregon. The goals were were in the presence of the only known three-fold: to determine the size of the population of this butterfly in Oregon. known population, to resurvey historic Taylor’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha sites, and to search for additional popu- taylori) is a prairie species that was lations in areas that had the proper habi- once found on grasslands throughout tat characteristics. the Willamette Valley, in areas to the We knew that several of Oregon’s north and south of Washington’s Puget historic sites had likely been lost to de- Sound, and on southern Vancouver Is- velopment and agriculture—grasslands land in British Columbia. Its historic are far less common in the Willamette range and abundance are not precisely Valley than they once were — and en- known, but over time the butterfly had croachment by invasive weeds; now, been documented at more than seventy by poring over maps and aerial photo- locations. By the turn of the twenty-first graphs, we were able to identify addi- century, the number of known sites had tional sites that seemed to have the right fallen to barely more than a dozen, with conditions to support the butterfly. We none in British Columbia and just one divided up the task: Mace and I would in Oregon. visit the historic sites, and Dana would Shortly before our 2003 trip, the Xer­ track down and evaluate the potential ces Society had submitted a petition to new locations. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Our survey of the historic sites con- to request that Taylor’s checkerspot be firmed that Taylor’s checkerspot was

SPRING 2013 17 missing from every one of them. Some toward its conservation. Xerces worked sites were themselves completely gone— to broker a deal with the landowners a house had been built on one of them, who had the larger population in their for instance —and others were choked care. In concert with Benton County with Scotch broom, an invasive Europe- Parks and one of the county commis- an shrub, squeezing out the butterfly’s sioners we developed an agreement that required host plants, which include enabled the county to manage the pri- harsh Indian paintbrush and a non- vate land for the benefit of the butterfly. native plant, narrow-leaf plantain. We then collaborated with the county Fortunately, Dana had more posi- parks department on a plan to control tive results: he discovered a hitherto un- invasive weeds at the site and to limit ac- known population. And this new popu- cess to the meadow. lation turned out to be one of the largest Because this checkerspot popu- known at the time, occupying a cluster lation also occupies part of a power of more than five interconnected sites. transmission right-of-way, we joined Further good news was that these but- forces with Mikki Collins and staff of terflies were on land owned by Benton the Bonneville Power Administration County and managed by the county’s (which manages the transmission line) Natural Areas and Parks Department. to formulate a plan laying out steps that We continued our search in 2004, the BPA can take to help the butterflies. surveying two dozen additional sites in Benton County and the FWS worked collaboration with Mikki Collins of the together to prepare a countywide Habi- FWS’s Oregon office and Nan Vance of tat Conservation Plan that provides for the Bureau of Land Management. Al- continuing protection for prairie spe- though no new populations were found, cies—including Taylor’s checkerspot— we established that both of the known on sites under county jurisdiction. populations occupied bigger clusters of The effort to protect a butterfly, of sites than previously thought. course, needs to extend over its range There is a popular misconception regardless of political boundaries. In that landowners are uniformly recal- Washington state there have been sev- citrant when it comes to aiding in the eral initiatives to protect places harbor- conservation of endangered species on ing the checkerspot. The Department of their holdings. On the contrary, a num- Fish and Wildlife, together with other ber of landowners were hoping that we state agencies and nonprofits, has sur- would find this butterfly on their prop- veyed the butterfly populations and erty. At one stop, Dana, Mace, and I ea- worked to gain a better understanding gerly emerged from the car, keen to see of how to restore their habitat. Depart- land that had been restored as native ment of Defense land managers and bi- prairie. The landowner was happy to see ologists have collaborated with a range us, later telling a reporter, “These three of organizations, including the Nature guys jumped out of the car, all wearing Conservancy and the Center for Natural dark sunglasses. They seemed like they Lands Management, to improve habitat might be with the butterfly FBI.” on military training areas at Joint Base Finding the butterfly is just one step Lewis-McChord. Xerces also worked

18 WINGS The wildflower-rich grasslands that many butterfly species rely upon are disappearing from modern landscapes. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, grasslands have been lost to agriculture, urban development, and invasive plants. Less than 1 percent of the Valley’s historical area of prairies now remains. Photograph by Mace Vaughan.

SPRING 2013 19 Taylor’s checkerspot spends much of the year (from late summer to the following spring) as a chrysalis. Photograph by Rod Gilbert. with the Washington Department of protection, and, potentially, reintroduc- Fish and Wildlife and others to con- tions into historic sites. vene researchers and conservationists The Xerces Society’s efforts on be- with the goal of sharing knowledge of half of Taylor’s checkerspot started out Taylor’s checkerspot and compiling all as a plea to the government to take ac- of the known information in one place. tion for its protection. After a decade of From there we developed plans to detail work —searching for new populations, next steps to conserve this butterfly. developing agreements to protect im- Even with all of this work, the portant habitat, designing management Taylor’s checkerspot is still highly im- plans for specific sites, and garnering periled. It was included in a settlement media attention—it is, at last, likely that agreement stemming from legal action the butterfly will receive the benefit of by the Center for Biological Diversity federal protection. and Wild Earth Guardians to compel But listing cannot be the end of the listing under the Endangered Species story. Much more needs to be done be- Act of those that the FWS has deemed fore this species will ultimately recover. “candidate species” for protection, With willing landowners, dedicated many of them having languished for lepidopterists, responsive state and fed- years in apparent limbo. As a result, eral agencies, and determined nonprofit the FWS has proposed the butterfly for organizations working together, many protection. Following through with more people will someday have the op- this listing is clearly urgent, given that portunity to witness the spectacular most of the checkerspot’s former habi- flight of Taylor’s checkerspot. tat has disappeared and what remains is under threat. Endangered species listing will provide more funding for research, Scott Hoffman Black is executive director habitat restoration and acquisition, site of the Xerces Society.

20 WINGS CONSERVATION SPOTLIGHT

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum Located in the middle of the Midwest- neous landscape provides a wide variety ern city of Madison, the University of of nesting opportunities, from old stone Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum attracts walls to grass tussocks, from decompos- about a million people annually. Scien- ing logs to rodent holes. tists, land managers, students, garden- Although the diversity of bumble ers, community members, and visitors bees at the Arboretum can be attributed from all over the world use the Arbore- in part to the diversity of habitats found tum for research, workshops, classes, there, it can also be seen as a product of tours, and field trips, as well as simply the range of land management practices for enjoyment of its nearly twenty miles adopted by the Arboretum’s staff. of trails. The land on which the Arbore- Bumble bees have two basic needs: tum resides was once agricultural fields a place to nest, and flowers on which to and pastures, but, thanks to extensive forage. To provide the former, the Ar- restoration efforts, it has been trans- boretum retains snags for as long as is formed into a diverse mix of environ- safe, and leaves in place fallen logs, leaf ments representing Wisconsin’s native litter, brush, and bunch grasses. Visitors plant communities. The Arboretum’s may sometimes feel that such detritus is twelve hundred acres are home to sa- untidy or an eyesore, but these features vannas, prairies, deciduous and conif- provide valuable opportunities for nest- erous forests, and wetlands, in addition ing and overwintering. to horticultural gardens featuring both The staff is also active in improving native and ornamental plants. flowering habitats, with the aim of en- This assortment of habitats benefits suring blooming plants throughout the many types of wildlife, but the Arbore- bumble bee flight season (which in this tum has become known as a refuge for region is March to September). Habi- bumble bees in particular. Eleven spe- tats are enhanced with native species cies have been recorded there —includ- known to be attractive to bumble bees, ing the highly imperiled rusty patched and prairies and other areas are carefully bumble bee (Bombus affinis)—a particu- managed to maintain open, weed-free larly impressive list given the relatively conditions. The Arboretum’s prairies are small parcel of land and the fact that it is burned a parcel at a time, which leaves situated within an urban area. The Arbo- refuges for bees; invasive plants are re- retum’s remnant and restored habitats moved by hand weeding or targeted provide bumble bees with season-long herbicide applications; and insecticides foraging resources from the early-spring are rarely used and carefully targeted at flowering of willows in wetlands to the protecting the trees in the horticultural early-autumn blooming of goldenrods collections. Monitoring to determine in prairies. In addition, the heteroge- which plants bees are using helps to in-

SPRING 2013 21 form the Arboretum’s activities. fessionals, such as a 2010 Xerces Society Complementing its land manage- Pollinator Conservation Short Course ment, the Arboretum has an active edu- for land managers and agency staff, and, cation and outreach program to garden- in 2012, a workshop on native-pollina- ers, students, community members, and tor conservation for Arboretum employ- staff. In a variety of ways it advocates ees, volunteers, and partners. for bumble bees and encourages bee- The Arboretum recognizes how im- ­friendly practices within its confines portant its land is for bumble bees, and and beyond. It has initiated a multi- also, in turn, how important bumble year citizen-science monitoring project bees are for maintaining healthy plants to document and photograph bumble and sustainable ecosystems. It provides bee species that forage and nest in its a refuge for both common and imper- many habitats. Presentations, tours of iled species, and its efforts highlight the native-plant garden, and volunteer the significance of bumble bees in the gardening sessions, as well as family landscape in such a way as to generate activities such as bee-spotting walks, public support for the care of bumble provide chances for the public to learn bee populations. Through its manage- about bees and to participate in caring ment and its programs, the Arboretum for the grounds. The Arboretum also has established itself as a regional center hosts events for land-management pro- for bumble bee conservation.

This bucolic landscape is bounded by freeways and housing, yet thoughtful manage- ment has created the right conditions to support nearly a dozen species of bumble bees, including the nationally rare rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis). Photograph by Molly Fifield-Murray, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum.

22 WINGS INVERTEBRATE NOTES

New Books People have watched and enjoyed but- eastern half of the continent. Each spe- terflies for centuries, and there are many cies profile has details of how to recog- excellent field guides to aid in identify- nize the caterpillars, where to find them, ing these beautiful insects as flying and their preferred host plants. adults. Identifying caterpillars has been The second book covers a smaller harder. A pair of new books offers read- area on the opposite side of the conti- ers both identification assistance and nent, the Cascadia region, which the au- natural history information. thors define as Washington state and ad- Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North joining areas. What makes Life Histories America (David Wagner, Dale Scheitzer, of Cascadia Butterflies (David James and Bolling Sullivan, and Richard Reardon; David Nunnallee; Oregon State Univer- Princeton University Press), may focus sity Press) stand out are its illustrations on just one family of moths, but owlets of every stage of a butterfly’s develop- are the largest family of butterflies and ment: egg, each larval instar, chrysalis, moths, Noctuidae. There are 2,900 spe- and adult— and for all 153 species of cies of owlets in North America alone butterflies in the region, plus an addi- —four times as many as all the butter- tional five subspecies. This is a remark- flies—and this well-written and gener- able achievement, made all the greater ously illustrated book will enable you by the detailed life history descriptions to identify hundreds of those from the that accompany the photographs.

Web Sites of Interest Continuing with the theme of butter- Butterflies and Moths of North America flies and moths, there are a growing (BAMONA): number of online resources that pro- www.butterfliesandmoths.org. vide a wealth of information and iden- Butterflies of America: tification help. The three listed here are www.butterfliesofamerica.com. particularly useful, offering good pho- tographs, accurate life-history informa- Pacific Northwest Moths: tion, and reliable distribution maps. pnwmoths.biol.wwu.edu.

Recent Research Dragonflies make tadpoles grow larger ence of dragonfly nymphs. Wood frog tails. A study by University of Michigan (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles were placed in scientists showed that tadpoles grow water shared with dragonfly nymphs bigger tails when stressed by the pres- that were caged so they could not eat

SPRING 2013 23 the tadpoles. The immediate response of balls haphazardly. (Dacke, M., E. Baird, the tadpoles was to remain motionless M. Byrne, C. H. Scholtz, and E. J. War- to avoid detection. After several hours rant. 2013. Dung beetles use the Milky they began moving again, and over the Way for orientation. Current Biology next week their tails grew larger; stron- 23:298–300.) ger tails would help them escape the jaws of dragonflies. These changes were Native bees are better pollinators. An controlled by corticosterone, a stress international team of researchers, in- hormone. (Maher, J. M., E. E. Werner, cluding several of Xerces’ scientific ad- and R. J. Denver. 2013. Stress hormones visors and project collaborators, has mediate predator-induced phenotyp- concluded that native pollinators can ic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles. help farms produce bigger harvests. The Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 280: study looked at pollinator visitation in 20123075 doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.3075.) hundreds of farm fields on six conti- nents and in forty-one crop systems, and Beetles navigate by the stars. For dung demonstrated that yields increased with beetles, the ability to roll a dung ball the presence of more native bees and quickly away from the dung pile and that wild pollinators are more efficient competing beetles is important— and than honey bees. The authors recom- they are remarkably good at rolling in mend integrated management policies, a straight line. Researchers in South Af- including restoring and creating habi- rica showed that nocturnal beetles use tat on farms and consideration of pol- the stars to navigate via photoreceptors linators during pesticide applications. that sense polarized light. When scien- (Garibaldi, L. A., I. Steffan-Dewenter, R. tists blocked the beetles’ sky view by fit- Winfree, et al. Wild pollinators enhance ting them with tiny hats, they lost their fruit set of crops regardless of honey bee sense of direction and rolled their dung abundance. Science 339:1608–1611.)

Dung beetles were fitted with hats to block their view of the sky. This hat is clear, a control in the experiment. Photograph by Marie Dacke.

24 WINGS STAFF PROFILE

Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Conservation Program Director What got you interested in insects? I have always been fascinated by nature, but never really paid any attention to insects until after college. Then I began keeping honey bees, which led me to discover the amazing diversity of insects visiting flowers. After that, I was hooked. How did you first hear of the Xerces Society? In the late 1990s, I was working as an intern with the nonprofit Canyonlands Field Institute in Moab, Utah. As a class project, we were asked to design our own nonprofit organization; I outlined one that took on the challenges of inverte- brate conservation. When I shared this idea with my mentor, Tim Graham (then Who is (or was) your environmental hero? a USGS biologist), he burst my bubble, I have two heroes. The first is unsur- letting me know that the Xerces Soci- prising: Aldo Leopold really pulled the ety had been at it since the early ’70s. pieces together for me. And, he under- Within a couple of weeks, I had become took his work in a managed landscape, a Xerces member—and I was determined where he saw the value of and need for to work there in the future. agriculture and forestry, but in the con- text of sustainable management. What’s the best thing about your job? The Far less well-known is Edith Patch. people! The staff at Xerces are terrific. A professor of entomology at the Uni- And, I work with farmers, biologists, versity of Maine in the early decades and conservationists across the country of the twentieth century, Dr. Patch be- who are passionate about bees, about came the first woman president of the biodiversity, about conservation. Entomological Society of America. She Who’s in your family? Besides my won- predicted that, because insects are so derful wife—who also works full time in important to agriculture and in nature, conservation—and my bright and beau- by the year 2000 there would be “insect tiful daughter, we have a dog, a guinea gardens” across the United States. pig, a snake, a spider, and a fish. Where were you educated? Cornell Uni- What do you do for relaxation? Playing versity, where I earned a BS in natural the guitar, rock-climbing, hiking, bik- resource management and masters de- ing, and camping. grees in entomology and teaching.

SPRING 2013 25 XERCES NEWS

Endangered Species Chocolate Partners with Xerces The Xerces Society is honored to an- nounce that it was selected by Endan- gered Species Chocolate to participate in the company’s 10% GiveBack program. Through this program, Endangered Spe- cies Chocolate donates 10 percent of net profits to organizations that support species conservation, habitat preserva- tion, and humanitarian efforts. Xerces will be a 10% GiveBack partner for the next three years. Although not directly related to this partnership, Endangered Species Chocolate included Xerces in a social media campaign, “Vote New Faces for New Flavors,” to select two animals to be featured on new flavors of chocolate bar. Six candidates were in the running: bumble bee, monk seal, orangutan, pea- support; in the end, the bumble bee got cock, red panda, and wallaby. The deci- well over eighteen thousand votes. sion was based on voting that was done Thank you to Endangered Species through the company’s Facebook page. Chocolate for including the bumble bee The fantastic news is that Xerces was and Xerces in this campaign. Congratu- one of the two winners; a bumble bee lations to the Marine Mammal Center of will become a new wrap star, and Xerces Sausalito, California, whose monk seal, has received a $1,000 donation. This was the other champion, will also be appear- possible because of a huge outpouring of ing on a chocolate bar.

Endangered Species Listing Proposed for Taylor’s Checkerspot In October 2012, in response to a peti- cades; an endangered species listing will tion from the Xerces Society and part- protect both it and the prairies in the Pa- ners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cific Northwest that it calls home. proposed to list the Taylor’s checkerspot The native prairie Taylor’s checker­ butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori) as spot relies upon is one of the rarest eco- endangered and to designate critical systems in the United States, with 90 to habitat. Populations of this butterfly 95 percent of it lost over the past century have dropped steeply over the past de- and a half. The surviving prairies con-

26 WINGS tinue to shrink due to agricultural and The Xerces Society has been en- urban development, and their habitat gaged in conservation of this species value is degraded by changes in vegeta- for more than ten years. (See the article tion and the spread of invasive plants. beginning on page 16 in this issue of The listing proposal includes setting Wings.) We will continue to work with aside some 6,900 acres as designated partners, as well as to advocate for the habitat in Washington and Oregon. full recovery of Taylor’s checkerspot.

Bumble Bee Watch Web Site to be Launched This Summer This summer the Xerces Society, in col- tions. With our new web site you will be laboration with the University of Ot- able to upload photographs, use an in- tawa, Wildlife Preservation Canada, teractive identification tool, and submit and the Montreal Insectarium, will be records of bumble bee sightings. launching Bumble Bee Watch, a citizen- If you’d like to be on the mailing science initiative to track all species of list to be notified when the web site goes North American bumble bees. live, please sign up at bumblebeewatch. This project will help us to follow org. Until the web site is launched, you the status of these essential pollinators can submit bumble bee sightings via and inform effective conservation ac- email to [email protected].

Protection Requested for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee The Xerces Society filed a petition with small and isolated, and are threatened the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jan- by diseases from a largely unregulated uary, requesting Endangered Species Act commercial bumble bee industry, as protection for the rusty patched bumble well as by disease from other sources, bee (Bombus affinis). In developing the habitat degradation, pesticide use, and ESA petition, staff of Xerces’ endangered climate change. species program worked closely with Dr. The cause of the rusty patched Robbin Thorp, professor emeritus at the bumble bee’s decline has not yet been University of California–Davis and na- fully determined. The leading hypoth- tionally recognized expert on bumble esis suggests that a fungal pathogen was bees, and Elaine Evans, a doctoral can- introduced from Europe by the com- didate at the University of Minnesota. mercial bumble bee industry in the early The rusty patched bumble bee was 1990s, and then spread to wild pollina- once very common from the Upper Mid- tors. The hypothesis is supported by the west to the East Coast and was an impor- timing, speed, and severity of the de- tant pollinator of crops and wildflowers. cline; a crash in laboratory populations Recently it has undergone a precipitous of bumble bees occurred shortly before decline; a study from the University of researchers noticed a number of spe- Illinois estimates that the bee has dis- cies of formerly common bumble bees appeared from 87 percent of its historic disappearing from the wild. In related range. The remaining populations are bumble bees that also are declining,

SPRING 2013 27 researchers at the University of Illinois hanced, and remaining populations have recently found higher levels of a could be protected from site-specific fungal pathogen and lower levels of ge- threats. Additionally, protection under netic diversity. It is noteworthy that the the ESA may lead government agencies rusty patched bumble bee was too scarce to address issues such as the registration in the landscape to be included in these of new pesticides that may be harmful analyses. to this species, and the movement of With Endangered Species Act pro- commercial bumble bees, which may tection, the bee’s habitat could be en- transfer disease to wild bumble bees.

Promoting Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management A new report released by the Xerces So- a negative impact on the wetland com- ciety shows that public education and munity by harming nontarget animals targeted mosquito management efforts and disrupting local food webs. are the best way to protect communities The report’s recommendations fol- from mosquito-borne diseases and pro- low the principles developed by the Cen- tect wetland health. Ecologically Sound ters for Disease Control, which stress the Mosquito Management in Wetlands re- importance of reducing mosquito abun- views the history of mosquito manage- dance through site management and the ment in the United States, and describes removal of artificial containers in which current practices and their direct and these insects can breed. Public educa- indirect impact on nontarget wild- tion about eliminating breeding sites life. More than 450 publications were around the home and taking personal reviewed while preparing this report, protective measures has been shown to which also identifies effective ways to be an effective way to decrease the risk manage mosquitoes through public of mosquito bites. education, action by local residents, the Protecting our remaining wetlands conservation of mosquitoes’ natural en- is critical: nearly half of U.S. states have emies, and the use of state-of-the-art GIS lost more than 50 percent of their wet- ­surveillance. lands, and several have lost more than Insecticides are the default mos- 80 percent. It is increasingly important quito-management tool in most areas, to develop wetland management tech- and each year tens of millions of acres niques that sustain the integrity and of wetlands are treated with pesticides. biodiversity of these vulnerable ecosys- The most commonly used pesticide tems, while simultaneously providing chemicals are organophosphates and effective management of an insect with pyrethroids, broad-spectrum toxins public health and nuisance impacts. that severely impact nontarget inverte- Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management brates, fish, amphibians, and birds, in- in Wetlands will help land managers for- cluding endangered butterflies that live mulate site-specific mosquito-manage- near treated areas. Pesticides that target ment plans that balance the needs of the immature mosquitoes are considered environment with those of the human less damaging, but even these can have community, creating solutions to mos-

28 WINGS Wetlands are critical habitat. The Xerces Society’s new report shows how to protect them during mosquito-management activities. Photograph by Celeste Mazzacano. quito issues that are more effective and The report can be downloaded from at the same time less toxic to the aquatic our web site, www.xerces.org; printed ecosystem. copies are also available for purchase.

2013 Joan Mosenthal DeWind Award Recipients The Xerces Society is pleased to an- tions: evaluating the magnitude and nounce the winners of this year’s Joan persistence of negative herbicidal ef- Mosenthal DeWind Awards. Each year, fects on the demography of a lycaenid Xerces awards two small grants to sup- (Glaucopsyche lygdamus columbia).” This port innovative studies that advance study will examine the effects of a grass- the science of conservation of butter- specific herbicide on the Columbia sil- flies and moths; the grants are named very blue. Egg laying and caterpillar sur- for Joan Mosenthal DeWind, an accom- vival will be measured in the field, and plished amateur lepidopterist and a pio- a complementary laboratory investiga- neering member of the Xerces Society. tion will evaluate mechanisms by which Rachel Glaeser, of Washington State herbicides might deter butterfly egg lay- University at Vancouver, won an award ing. The outcome of this research can be for her project, “Consequences of selec- used to improve spraying regimes, par- tive-herbicide use on butterfly popula- ticularly those implemented in habitat

SPRING 2013 29 of endangered butterflies. rupt metapopulation dynamics of colo- The second award goes to John nization and extinction. Reintroduction Schroeder, of Stanford University, for his of at-risk butterflies may be necessary to study “Conservation genomics of the supplement or even replace the natural checkerspot butterfly,Euphydryas editha: process of recolonization. This project finding genes responsible for dispersal seeks to determine the genes responsible propensity.” Habitat destruction results for dispersal propensity, which can then in the isolation of habitat patches and be used to select a subset of the source associated butterflies, which can inter- population for reintroduction.

From Bees to Birds: Assessing the Impact of Insecticide Use Last spring, Xerces released Are Neo­ Center for Food Safety to conduct a Sen- nicotinoids Killing Bees? which sum- ate staff briefing in Washington, D.C., marized all available peer-reviewed re- titled “From Bees to Birds: Assessing the search on the impact of neonicotinoid Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely- pesticides on bees. Since that time we Used Insecticides.” The briefing was have worked to improve risk assessment held at the request of the Senate Envi- for bees and to educate farmers and oth- ronment and Public Works Committee ers on how to limit the impacts of these and Senator Boxer of California and was products. We have also pushed to have attended by eighty people, including the Environmental Protection Agency re-evaluate these chemicals. Neonicotinoids, now one of the most widely employed classes of pesti- cides in this country, are highly toxic to honey bees and bumble bees. Corn seed treated with neonicotinoids is planted on millions of acres annually in the United States. Moreover, these products are regularly used around our homes and schools at significantly higher rates (potentially thirty-two times as great) than those approved for agricultural crops. There is mounting evidence that neonicotinoids — especially imidaclo- prid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam —are harming bees as well as a variety of other wildlife. As part of the effort to educate law- makers and regulators at the EPA about the severe impacts of these chemicals, Xerces executive director Scott Black tes- the Xerces Society partnered with the tifying at the U.S. Senate staff briefing American Bird Conservancy and the about neonicotinoids earlier this year.

30 WINGS staff from numerous Senate offices. Xer­ tion process for these chemicals. Specifi- ces executive director Scott Black high- cally, we are asking the EPA to reassess lighted deficiencies in the EPA’s cur- the bee safety of currently approved uses rent pesticide registration process and of products containing neonicotinoids stressed key areas that Congress needs and to suspend immediately all condi- to focus upon to resolve these problems. tional registrations until we understand Xerces staff followed up the briefing how to manage the risk to bees. We are with meetings with staff from the Sen- also asking the agency to significantly ate and House Agricultural Committees speed up the registration review pro- and with the EPA. cess. The EPA should not wait three to The goal is to speed the re-registra- five years to make these decisions.

Rising International Shipping Costs Affect Member Discounts In January, the U.S. Postal Service dra- please order via our online store and matically increased its international submit payment for the current inter- postage rates. The increase is so great national price of the item. that, unfortunately, we can no longer Please also note that payment by offer discounted merchandise to our Visa or MasterCard is preferred for inter- international members; this includes national merchandise orders. We bank Canadian residents. Our online store with a Portland-based community bank has been updated to reflect the new that charges $20 per item to deposit a prices for international shipping. If you foreign check or money order, even if live outside the United States and plan the check is in U.S. funds. Thank you to order books by mail, we ask that you for understanding.

WINGS, Spring 2013 Volume 36, Number 1 Wings is published twice a year by the Xerces Society, an international, non- profit ro ganization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life through the ­conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. A Xerces Society membership costs $35 per year (tax-deductible) and includes a subscription to Wings. Copyright © 2013 by the Xerces Society. All rights reserved. Xerces Society Executive Director: Scott Hoffman Black; Editors: Scott Hoffman Black, John Laursen, and Matthew Shepherd; Design and Production: John Laursen. Printed on recycled paper. For information about membership and our conservation programs for native pollinators, endangered species, and aquatic invertebrates, contact us: THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 628 Northeast Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232 toll-free 855-232-6639 fax 503-233-6794 [email protected] www.xerces.org

SPRING 2013 31 The prolegs on the underside of this woolly bear caterpillar help it grip any sur- face, but they are a temporary feature. The prolegs are lost during metamorphosis to the adult Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). Photograph by Elise Fog.

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

Board of Directors Scientific Advisors May R. Berenbaum Paul R. Ehrlich Paul A. Opler President Wendell Gilgert Dennis Paulson Linda Craig Boris Kondratieff Robert Michael Pyle Treasurer Claire Kremen Michael Samways Sacha Spector John Losey Cheryl Schultz Secretary Thomas Lovejoy Robbin Thorp David Frazee Johnson Scott E. Miller E. O. Wilson Logan Lauvray Piotr Naskrecki Rachael Winfree Marla Spivak

A $35 per year Xerces Society membership includes a subscription to Wings.

On the cover: Metamorphosis, the process by which an insect transforms from an im­ mature form to a fully developed adult, is a beautiful and fascinating thing to witness. It is not without risk, however, as the insect must remain immobile and vulnerable for long periods during the process. This molting grasshopper was photographed in Suri- name by Piotr Naskrecki.