Being Thankful for Bugs

This is a repost from November 28, 2014, but it still applies today; and not just for the American holiday of Thanksgiving, but for every day in every location on the globe. Life as we know it would not be possible without insects and their kin.

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A couple days ago the following post crossed my Facebook newsfeed, and it is an excellent reminder of why insects and other arthropods are so important to us as human beings, and to the planet Earth as well.

Honeybee pollinating flower in Arizona

"Thanksgiving is tomorrow …and we all have much to be thankful for. But don’t forget to thank our pollinating friends (bees, beetles and a host of other critters) that provide 1 out of every 3 mouthfuls of food and drink we consume. Without them, and the invaluable service they provide, our lives and our world would be drastically different. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Ecosystem Services

Beyond pollination, insects and related invertebrates furnish many other "ecosystem services" that we can't easily put an economic price on. They are responsible for seed dispersal in many plants. They are at the front lines in the decomposition process for all organic matter be it animal or vegetable. Their activities aerate and mix the soil. They serve as the basis of the food chain, feeding other invertebrates and many vertebrates from fish to birds to bats to aardvarks and anteaters.

Dung beetle pair rolling dung ball in Kansas

A scientific article was published in 2006 in the journal Bioscience that attempted to quantify just four of these ecosystem services: pollination, pest control in croplands, waste (dung) removal on rangeland, and food for wildlife (recreational hunting, fishing, birdwatching, etc). The carefully calculated estimate of the value insects thus provide, in the United States alone, was a staggering sixty billion dollars ($60,000,000,000).

Golden-winged Skimmer dragonfly in GeorgiaWatchable Wildlife

Insects are quickly becoming "watchable wildlife" in their own right. Countless field guides and online resources cater to those who enjoy observing butterflies, dragonflies, moths, tiger beetles, and nocturnal "singing insects" like katydids and crickets. What will the next craze be? It is clear that these communal passions are not only sustaining themselves, but actually growing in popularity, as witnessed by the explosion of National Moth Week, for example. There are festivals for everything from butterflies to bees, even mosquitoes (in Paisley, Oregon).

Drosophila "fruit fly" in ColoradoResearch and Medicine

Insects and other arthropods are also used extensively in scientific research and medicine. We owe much of our knowledge of genetics to research conducted on "fruit flies" (Drosophila spp.) and flour beetles (Tribolium spp.). Fly larvae are used to clean wounds because they carefully avoid living tissue while secreting fluids with antibiotic properties. Many patients with joint inflammation and diseases swear by "bee venom therapy," even though it may be relegated to the category of alternative medicine by the healthcare establishment. Spider, scorpion, and insect venoms continue to yield promising derivative compounds. Some fireflies produce chemicals that show promise in fighting herpes.

Paper wasp nest in Cape May, New JerseyArt, science, and inspiration

Many people find inspiration in the world of insects. We owe the invention of paper to ancient peoples in Asia who observed paper wasps constructing their nests of chewed wood and plant fibers. We continue to refine the performance of our aircraft thanks to experiments on, and observation of, insect flight. Insects are being enlisted in the fight against terrorism because of their acute chemo-tactile senses that far exceed our own abilities to detect harmful substances and agents; and their small size that allows them access to the most remote cracks, crevices, and other cavities. Artists are endlessly inspired by the beauty, colors, and patterns of insects.

Cochineal scale insects on cactus, ColoradoRaw Materials

Lastly, insects and their kin provide us with many invaluable raw materials and products. Silkworms and spiders produce silk with different properties of strength, durability, and elasticity, often exceeding the quality of synthetic fabrics. Honeybees produce honey, and beeswax. Cochineal scale insects produce organic scarlet dye, and the lac scale insect yields shellac. Many cultures also consider insects themselves as a staple food source, a practice known as "entomophagy" that is steadily gaining favor in modern western cultures.

Tiny gall wasp (Cynipidae) I found yesterday, ColoradoPersonally....

Personally, I value insects and arachnids as an endless source of fascination. Their physical diversity is mind-boggling. The behaviors they engage in are amazing. You can find them anywhere and everywhere, even inside your own home in the middle of a cold winter. Their stories demand telling, and I feel honored and privileged to have a modicum of ability to bring them to life for others.

What is it about "bugs" that you are thankful for? I encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings here.

Source: I wish to thank the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium for sharing the quote at the top of this post. Please visit their website, donate if you are able, and "like" them on Facebook. Thank you.

Butterflies: A Great Gift Book, But....

First of all, may I say how genuinely flattered I am that publishers think so highly of this blog that they are now offering to send me new books to review here. Let me also say that this sometimes puts me between a rock and a hard place. There is seldom a direct conflict of interest, but it is sometimes difficult to be as objective as I would like. Take for example the new book Butterflies, written by Ronald J. Orenstein, with photographs by Thomas Marent.

Butterflies is published by Firefly Books Ltd., a Canadian-based company noted for their visually stunning pictorial works, of which this "coffee table book" is no exception. Indeed, their press never disappoints. The organization of this book is straightforward and comprehensive, addressing the most important aspects of butterfly classification, life history, diet, and their role in the environment at large. The last chapter addresses moths, which ironically is a problem I have with the publisher, not the book. More on that later.

This book got my attention with this assertion: "Butterflies are moths." Not only is this accurate, it is brave. In three words, the author turns all our usual assumptions about Lepidoptera on their heads. I could recommend this book for that reason alone, but there is more.

Orenstein's text is perfectly tailored for a general audience and educated reader. Scientific terms are defined within the text, but in a way that still renders the narrative smooth and engaging. This is not easy to accomplish and the author deserves great credit for his skill. The words are in white, on a black page, which lends an elegant air to the book, but may or may not make reading more difficult for someone with visual difficulties.

Photographer Thomas Marent is based in Switzerland and, unfortunately, that bias shows. An overwhelming number of images are of species found in Switzerland, or Europe in general, and this is a typical flaw with most popular entomology books produced outside of the U.S. I could write forever about the shortcomings of U.S. publishers when it comes to nature and science titles, but back to this particular book. Images of butterflies from Australia, Peru, Africa, and other locations around the globe are also included. In fact, the location where each image was shot is always given in the caption, a refreshing detail that needs to become standard for all such books.

Now to expose my own bias. Butterflies, as a book subject, have been done to death. The phrase "familiarity breeds contempt" comes immediately to mind whenever I am confronted by yet another volume devoted to them. Butterflies are already popular. Publishers are loathe to take risks by approving proposals for books on other kinds of insects, even in the face of a growing popular appreciation of moths (the ones that aren't butterflies). There needs to be a book like Butterflies that is devoted to moths. Period. I could guarantee it would be a best-seller or nearly so, in the hands of the right author.

Despite my inherent reservations when I received the book, Butterflies exceeded my expectations and I can honestly give it a ringing endorsement. It is also priced reasonably considering the quality and quantity of imagery. You will find more images and another opinion on Colin Knight's blog. He also includes helpful links to Ron Orenstein's blogs.

Happy holidays, friends!

Field Guide, Anyone?

The Christmas shopping season is fast approaching, and I would like to make your gift-giving decisions easier by offering signed copies of the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America to you, my loyal followers, for a discount.

I am happy to write a personalized message in the book and send it to you for $16.00 U.S., plus shipping. This is a savings of nearly three dollars off the cover price of $18.95. Please place your requests by October 15 to insure ample time for me to order additional copies from the publisher, and ship the book(s) to you in time for you to deliver it to your family members, friends, students, yourselves, or other loved-ones for the holidays.

Please e-mail me with "Field Guide Order" in the subject line: BugEric24ATyahooDOTcom. I will keep you appraised of the timeline for receipt of the book(s) so you can know when to expect delivery. I can accept only checks for payment, please.

As always, I also greatly appreciate donations to keep this blog running; and I always welcome your requests for topics and other improvements to this site. Thank you!

The Legend of the Christmas Spider

One of my holiday gifts this year was a unique spider ornament, handcrafted from various materials. It came inside a box that explained its significance. “The Legend of the Christmas Spider” it said, followed by this story:

”A long time ago in Germany a mother was busily cleaning for Christmas. The spiders fled upstairs to the attic to escape the broom. When the house became quiet the spiders slowly crept downstairs for a peek. Oh, what a beautiful tree! In their excitement they scurried up the trunk and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed amongst the glittering beauty. But, alas! By the time they were through climbing, the tree was completely shrouded in their dusty gray spider webs. When Santa came with the gifts for the children and saw how happy the spiders were he knew how heartbroken the mother would be if she saw the tree covered with the dusty webs. He turned the webs to silver and gold. The tree sparkled and shimmered and was even more beautiful than before. That’s why we have tinsel on our Christmas tree and every tree should have a Christmas Spider in its’ branches.”

© threeoclockinthemorning.com

Looking online, I find numerous references to the above story, but strangely I find nothing in the two reference books where I would have expected the legend to be recounted. Still, I find folklore like this to be a good sign that spiders are not always the “bad guys,” looked at with disdain, fear, and loathing.

Another thing I find fascinating is that while people may find spiders revolting, those same humans are likely to consider spider webs, especially outdoor orb webs, to be magnificent and beautiful feats of natural engineering. We need to translate that love for webs to spiders themselves, and I think the tide may be turning in this regard.

Next week: Christina Applegate’s spider, “Seymour.”

Sources: Climo, Shirley. 1985. Someone Saw a Spider: Spider Facts and Folktales. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. 133 pp.
Hillyard, Paul. 1994. The Book of the Spider: From Arachnophobia to the Love of Spiders. New York: Random House. 218 pp.

Happy Holidays!

I want to wish all of my followers and fellow bloggers Happy Holidays, and my sincerest best wishes to you for a bright new year.

I spent yesterday doing a Christmas bird count in the vicinity of La Veta, Colorado (Spanish Peaks area), where we were rewarded with spottings of wild turkey (the bird, silly, not the whiskey), and a Golden Eagle among several other species. Interestingly, I learned that Eastern Boxelder Bugs (Boisea trivittata) are called "adobe bugs" there. Never heard of that before. That insect was quite plentiful, though, basking on the south side of houses despite the lingering snow at over 7,000 feet elevation.

I continue to enjoy making new discoveries like that, and then sharing them with all of you. Remember there will be more diversity in posts next year. Remember, too, that you are always welcome to share your own questions, images, and observations with me. My personal universe is rather small, but together we can broaden our collective horizons. Thank you.

BugEric24ATyahooDOTcom.

Holiday Gift Guide 2012

At this time of year I like to give a free plug to products that I have found useful myself, or that I believe would be beneficial to my readers and their friends. This year has seen a trio of books that I am proud to sing praises of. I even lent images and text to one of them. Enjoy!

Kollath+Stensaas Publishing continues to turn out highly useful, generously illustrated, and compact regional field guides on subjects seldom treated by major publishing houses. The latest from their presses is Insects of New England & New York, by Tom Murray.

Tom is a prolific photographer of invertebrates and his images here are more than worth the $18.95 retail price of the book. I was profoundly flattered to receive a free copy, but even more astounded to read the acknowledgements:

”When I was first becoming serious about insect photography, Eric Eaton….would regularly visit my website and identify my photos. With Eric’s encouragement I joined www.Bugguide.net in March of 2005.”

Tom should be very proud of what he has done with that “encouragement.” Critics will say that the images of insects identified to species, or even genus, can be misleading to users trying to make their own identifications. This is true, because many species look essentially identical, or are conversely highly variable in color, pattern, and/or size. I would make the counter argument that one goal of a field guide should be to illustrate just how incredibly diverse invertebrates are. Tom and the publishers achieve this in boatloads.

Insects of New England & New York is more comprehensive than most field guides to insects for any region. It should be a standard reference for students of all ages throughout the northeast U.S. and adjacent southern Canada. Still can’t get enough of Tom’s photography? Then please visit his amazing galleries at pbase.com.

Another good friend, who I have yet to meet in person, had her own book come out this year. Seabrooke Leckie, together with David Beadle, produced the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America (Houghton Mifflin Company).

Seabrooke lives in the wilds of Canada, assuring that any U.S. bias was curbed at least to some degree in the coverage of this book. Those that are familiar with Charles Covell’s A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984), also in the Peterson series, might think this new book to be redundant at best. Not true. Beadle and Leckie cover more species, and illustrate them with images of live specimens. No more pinned specimens with wings spread out. What you see at your porch light is what you will see in this book. Common variations in color and pattern are also shown for those species that vary in their appearance.

This book exceeded my expectations. One thing you might find puzzling, as I did, are the green, red, and orange bars next to the name of each species. Those bars represent “spring,” “summer,” and “fall” respectively. Beneath the bars is a black line that is not readily apparent, but which indicates the flight period for that species. This is explained in the “how to use this book” chapter, but it could have benefitted from a diagram. That is a minor negative, completely overwhelmed by the quality and comprehensiveness of this guide.

Seabrooke is a very gifted writer, and one’s style can be cramped by the constraints imposed by field guides. You owe it to yourself to visit her blog, The Marvelous in Nature, for a dose of her engaging style.

Last, but not least, Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman have another hit in the Kaufman Field Guide series with the Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England (Houghton Mifflin Company). Kenn was kind enough to approach me to contribute the terrestrial invertebrate section, both text and a few images, for which I was very grateful. Income never hurts, but it is always a joy to work with him on a new project.

Again, this book far exceeded my expectations, even though I should have known better. Yes, virtually every organism you are likely to encounter, plus geology, weather, and astronomy are covered in this book. From your backyard to the wilderness, it’s in there. Tidepool life, and open ocean fishes are even included. Wait, there’s more! You also get….passages on habitats, sustainability, endangered species, conservation, and invasive species. Now how much would you pay? Ahem. Sorry, I was momentarily channeling infomercials.

I am certain it is not coincidental that all three of these books are focused on New England or the northeast U.S. It makes sense for the publisher, as this is where the majority of the human population lives, recreates, and does business. I look forward to participating in the creation of more regional guides in the future. Breaking our biosphere down into bite-size regions means that you can cover more species.

There you have it, the three books that I think every naturalist should have on their shelves this year. Let me know your opinions, and feel free to make additional suggestions.

Holiday Gift Ideas

As I write this there are only 54 shopping days until Christmas. Time for my annual gift recommendations for your naturalist friends (or to add to your own wish list). I won’t even toot my own horn for the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Here are three ideas that I am sure will please any “amateur” entomologist out there.

My good friend Daniel Marlos, who started up the website What’sThatBug.com now has a new book to add to his list of successes. The Curious World of Insects: The Bugman’s Guide to the Mysterious and Remarkable Lives of Things That Crawl, a Perigree Book (Penguin Group), has a decidedly whimsical, Victorian-era flavor, in part due to the historical, clip art style illustrations throughout.

Marlos is a visual artist whose interest in insects comes more from a pop culture perspective than an entomological one. Still, Daniel has become a trusted authority in a very short time. He knows Australian insects better than I do, in part because he gets many submissions to his website from that island continent. He is a professor of photography at Los Angeles City College, but is independent of an academic institution when it comes to entomology. This has allowed him to set his own standards for responses to his website users.

Here in his book, he spotlights the insects and related arthropods most frequently encountered and asked about. Daniel’s research skills are first rate, and he excels at interpreting the lives of “bugs” in a way that is both educational and entertaining. It has been my pleasure and delight to see Daniel’s website succeed beyond all expectations; and to see an entomologist and writer metamorphose from such humble beginnings.

Yet another gifted gentleman, Dr. Edward Eric Grissell (Eric to his friends and colleagues), has come out with a much-needed popular book about stinging insects. Bees, Wasps, and Ants: The Indispensable Role of Hymenoptera in Gardens, published by Timber Press in Portland, Oregon, is an outstanding treatment of this fascinating order of insects.

Grissell’s prose is complemented by the jaw-dropping images that illustrate the book. No other popular book still in print communicates the sheer diversity of bees, wasps, sawflies, ants, and related insects in such an eloquent and captivating fashion. This is not a field guide, but is easily the best overview of Hymenoptera for amateur naturalists. Many specimens will be identifiable from the images in this book, but the reader gets a complete understanding of the biology and ecology of the insects as well.

I can’t help but be amused by the endorsement of the book provided by another author, Amy Stewart, who concludes that “Eric Grissell will make a hymenopteran out of all of us.” I, for one, certainly hope not. I enjoy being a human being. Maybe she meant he’ll make a hymenopterist out of all of us.

My final recommendation is a different product that all of us can use: a wall calendar. The Xerces Society presents its 2011 North American Bee Calendar featuring fabulous images of, and pertinent information about, the many solitary bees that pollinate wildflowers and crops across the continent.

The image here shows the cover of the 2010 calendar, but I can hardly wait to get my hands on the new one. Besides getting a superb product, your purchase aids the premiere invertebrate conservation organization in the world.

Gift Ideas

As I write this there are only thirty-four (34!) shopping days left until Christmas. I therefore consider it my obligation to inform you of a couple of wonderful gift choices perfect for the entomologists in your family.

I am pleased to recommend a brand new regional insect guide for residents of, and visitors to, the upper reaches of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, as well as the fine folks in adjacent Canada. Insects of the North Woods, by Jeffrey Hahn, is the latest offering in the "North Woods Naturalist Series" published by Kollath+Stensaas Publishing in Duluth, Minnesota.

This little gem of 246 pages covers most of the common families of insects likely to be encountered in that region of North America. I can personally attest to the effort that goes into assuring the utmost quality of this entire series, well worth one's investment because of their user-friendly nature, lavish photography, and compact size. Since most of the species profiled also occur elsewhere in eastern North America, the geographic slant to these publications is of minimal consideration. They are a handy reference almost anywhere east of the Rockies.

Much as I hate to "toot my own horn" as they say, you might also consider picking up a copy of my Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, authored by myself and naturalist extraordinaire Kenn Kaufman. Kenn really doesn't get enough credit for this book because he is modest to a fault, and won't readily admit that he wrote the sections on moths and butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, and many of the grasshoppers and crickets. Oddly, his finely-honed skills at editing text and images, and layout of plates seem to constantly take a back seat to his expertise in world bird fauna and rock guitar-playing.

The North Woods guides and Kaufman guides in general make excellent complementary gifts sure to please the naturalist who has everything (else). Please feel free to share your own favorite books, gadgets, and other bug-related products in the comment section of this post. I'll be eager to hear what has served you well in the field and your library. Happy holidays, friends.