Bug Banter with the Xerces Society

The color green is associated with a clean, healthy environment. When we see a green space, we often think it’s good, whether it is a beautiful forest or a neighborhood lawn. All plants provide for wildlife, right? Unfortunately, no. Some landscapes, in particular lawns, provide very little to no habitat. So, what can folks do to change their landscape? How can they rethink or replace their lawn to support wildlife?

To explore this topic, we are joined by Emily May and Stephanie Frischie. Emily is part of our pesticide reduction team at Xerces. With a focus on pesticides in agriculture, Emily works with farmers, researchers, conservation professionals, and agencies across the U.S. to reduce pesticide risks to pollinators and other beneficial insects, support the adoption of ecologically sound pest management practices, and expand high-quality habitat in working lands. 

Stephanie Frischie is an Agronomist and Native Plant Materials Specialist at Xerces. Stephanie brings technical expertise on native plant materials, native plants, and plant-insect interactions to her work across conservation agronomy; plant ecology; ecological restoration; and native seed production, use, policy, research, and quality — all to improve the supply and growth of important plant species for restoration of insect habitat.

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Photo: Emily May

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

The Xerces Society is named for a blue butterfly, the Xerces blue, which went extinct in the 1940s. Luckily, there are other blues, some of which are doing fine and we can see regularly in our parks and neighborhoods, little butterflies who flash bright blue when they move their wings. Others, unfortunately, are not doing so well. In this episode, we are highlighting one of those, the Karner blue.

Joining us to talk more about this butterfly is Julie Michaelson. Julie works for the Xerces Society as a pollinator conservation planner and NRCS partner biologist covering the Connecticut River Valley in New England. In this role, Julie collaborates with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the American Farmland Trust to provide technical support, training, and conservation planning assistance to farmers and land managers seeking to develop pollinator and beneficial insect habitat. Prior to joining Xerces, Julie was an environmental steward with New York state parks where she monitored and managed habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly, the topic of today’s conversation.

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Cover Photo: Justin Meissen CC BY-SA 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Few beetles are revered as sacred, seen as a symbol of rebirth, represented in ancient art, and to this day are used commercially for waste disposal, but dung beetles are. And if that’s not impressive enough they use the Milky Way to navigate. Truly amazing animals.

To dig a deeper into the lives of dung beetles, we are joined today by Katie Harris. Katie works for the Xerces Society as a Pollinator Conservation Specialist and NRCS Partner Biologist in Texas, where she works to conserve pollinating insects, with a focus on monarch butterflies, across the state. Katie has an M.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she studied the biodiversity of spiders. She then began investigating and creating effective monarch butterfly habitat and in 2023 graduated from the University of Missouri with a PhD. That led to a position as a postdoc researcher at the University of Texas at Austin examining the effects of parasitism on dung beetle behavior and ecosystem services in central Texas.

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Photo: Katie Harris (c)

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Xeriscaping is an important tool to conserve water and creates resiliency in the face of climate change, among other benefits. In this episode, we are going to explore the benefits of xeriscaping, how to do it, and how it can impact the conservation of insects.

Joining us to dive into this topic is Kailtin Haase, Xerces Pollinator Conservation Specialist in the Southwest. Kaitlin works to create climate-resilient, connected pollinator habitat in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. She collaborates with and educates public and private urban land managers in New Mexico and the desert Southwest on pollinator-friendly practices for landscaping, gardening, and open space restoration. 
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Cover Photo: Kaitlin Hasse

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

In this episode, we are going to explore the world of arachnids, but not the spiders you likely imagined after I said that. Nor ticks, nor mites, nor scorpions. No, today we are focusing on solifuges. “Soli-what?” you may be thinking.

Joining us to explain more is Dr. Paula Cushing. Paula works at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado, where she is the senior curator of invertebrate zoology. She is an evolutionary biologist who studies evolutionary patterns and processes in arachnids. Paula’s research focuses on the diversity of arachnids in the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains ecoregion, leveraging community science projects such as the Colorado Spider Survey to engage more people in gathering observations. She has done research in all the deserts of the western United States, in Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico, as well as in Mexico and Panama. 

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Photo credit: Harshjeet Singh Bal's CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

There may be a hidden danger lurking in the plants you purchase. Many plants sold at stores and nurseries, even native plants, are pre-treated with pesticides. So while trying to provide habitat for pollinators, you could be exposing them to chemicals. How do you know if plants have been treated with pesticides? Where can you find plants that haven’t been treated? 

Joining us to explore this topic is Sharon Selvaggio. Sharon is a Pesticide Program Specialist for the Xerces Society. She assists our staff, project partners, and the public to reduce reliance on pesticides and understand the risk these chemicals pose to invertebrates. Sharon also leads the Buying Bee-Safe Plants campaign. Sharon previously worked at Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, and integrates her focus on pesticides with her experience managing natural areas and working lands.

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Photo Credit: Kailee Slusser

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

**Correction: In this episode it states that the number of western monarchs in 2023 was 9,000 total. This was the total number for 2024.

Monarch butterflies are known as long-distance travelers, flying hundreds or thousands of miles from summer breeding areas to overwintering sites. These sites, although small, are essential for the survival of monarchs. Monarch butterflies across the western United States and into British Columbia migrate to California, where they shelter in tree groves scattered along the coast from Mendocino County to the Mexican border and further south. Beyond trees to roost in, what other features makes a grove good for monarchs? What more can we learn to help provide for their overwintering needs?

To talk with us and help understand these questions, we are joined by Kyle Nessen. Kyle is a Biology instructor at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. He has a masters of science in biology from California Polytechnic State University where he studied impacts of wind and forest structure on monarchs in their overwintering habitat.

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

There are countless ways to support the invertebrates we care about, and creating habitat in your own backyard or community is one we’ve often discussed. Today, we’ll explore real-world examples—what works, what doesn’t, and the exciting discoveries made along the way.

Joining us to talk about her very own yard is Jennifer Hopwood. Jennifer is a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist with Xerces, providing resources and training for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat management and restoration in a variety of landscapes. Jennifer has authored a number of publications and articles, and is co-author of several books, including Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, and a roadside revegetation manual. And like so many of us at Xerces, Jennifer is also a gardener and has learned through trial and error what makes a garden successful.

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Photo: Jennifer Hopwood

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

Illustration is a powerful and important tool for conservation, bringing science to life and presenting complex information in an engaging format. In this episode, we are continuing our exploration of the role of art in science communication and research with two other talented artists, Maya Hutagalung and Dr. Madison Sankovitz. Rachel and I have had the good fortune to work with them both over the last few months because they have been Science Illustration Interns here at the Xerces Society. 

Maya is a published illustrator whose work has appeared in a children’s book and been featured in gallery shows. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, with a minor in Earth and Environmental Science, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is most interested in how people intersect with their environment, and using art to communicate these connections. Madison is an illustrator and scientist passionate about pollinator conservation and communicating ecological research through art. Madison received a PhD in entomology from University of California Riverside and is currently a postdoc at the Boulder Bee Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder.

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Illustration by Maya Hutagalung and Madison Sankovitz

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.

For years now, there’s been a growing buzz—pun intended—about how to save our pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and so many other important species are struggling, but the good news is that each of us can make a big difference right in our own backyards. From planting native flowers to rethinking our use of pesticides, simple choices can transform any outdoor space into a thriving pollinator haven. In this episode, we’re diving into what it really takes to bring back the pollinators—and how you can be part of the solution.

Joining us are two guests that have become regulars on the podcast, Aaron Anderson and Bug Banter’s very own co-host Matthew Shepherd. Aaron is a Pesticide Program Specialist at Xerces. He works with the public and Xerces staff to reduce pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting alternative pest control measures and pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Matthew is Xerces Director of Outreach and Education. He has been with us for over 25 years, working in pollinator conservation in towns and cities. Much of his work focuses on guiding neighborhood-level efforts such as pollinator gardens and small habitat projects in parks, as well as supporting the Bring Back the Pollinators campaign and promoting initiatives such as Leave the Leaves.
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Photo: Emily May

Thank you for listening! For more information go to xerces.org/bugbanter.