Exciting research in action! Yesterday and today, Purdue Fort Wayne students are out at Eagle Marsh, gathering and identifying insects. Our preserves, like Eagle Marsh, provide an invaluable resource for universities to conduct hands-on research and enhance learning. These collaborative programs not only support academic studies but also give us greater insight into the biodiversity and activity happening in the marsh, helping us continue our mission to protect and restore these vital ecosystems.
One in every three bites of food we eat is created with the help of pollinators. Pollinators help to make coffee,...
One in every three bites of food we eat is created with the help of pollinators. Pollinators help to make coffee, apples, squash, and of course, honey But climate change is affecting pollinators throughout the country, threatening food security and ecosystem health.
USDA Climate Hubs work to ensure that farms, grazing lands, and forests across the U.S. can support healthy pollinators. Because whether it’s a home garden or a forest, pollinators thrive in healthy environments. Learn more about pollinators and climate change from our stories today!
Don't forget to look for native bees in early spring on woody plants. Willows and maples are some of the first forage plants in spring for native bees. Photo: male cellophane bee visiting red maple flowers. Thanks to Bee and Pollinator Books by Heather Holm for this photo and reminder! #bees#nativeplants
The video was shown on the PBS Create telvesion channel where he says it only takes 400-500 solitary native mason bees to pollinate an orchard which would take 20,000-30,000 non-native honey bees. The problem is we only have around 4 million Mason bees and would need at least 4 billion Mason bees to replace all the honeybees. It can happen, it will just take time.
Honey bees some claim they were called white man's flies by the Native American Indians. One story is that the honey bees often preceded European settlements by a 100 miles or so as the settlers spread across North America.
Did you know that honey bees were not a part of the indigenous environment at Jamestown? Though bees did exist, honey bees were imported by the Virginia Company in the 1620s. Today, you can buy honey from local beekeepers at Magnolia at the Dale House Cafe or seeds for native plants when you're visiting Jamestown!
Yarrow plants at the Memorial Gate, donated to Preservation Virginia by The Colonial Dames of America in 1907 and restored in 2019. Photo by Chuck Durfor.
“white man’s flies” - another Bee myth to stop using
From the Revolutionary War journal Project:
"Since Native Americans had never seen a honey bee, they had no word for the insect, wax, or honey. As such, they called them “white man’s flies” since they weren’t around until the Europeans showed up.
Not quite true as ‘white man’s flies’ is really a ‘white man’s myth.’
Native Americans had seen bees before, hard to miss 4,000 species of bees spread throughout the continent, but not honey bees until the early 16th century.
They also had never seen nor tasted honey, for native bees do not produce the sweet byproduct (unless one had traveled south to the tropics where the local Milapon bee makes honey).
They had no word to describe the honey bee.
That didn’t stop a Puritan pastor named John Eliot (1605 – 1690) who is credited for coming up with one. A missionary, he arrived in New England in 1631. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and did what missionaries do best, converted the local ‘savages’ to Christianity.
He decided he could be better at his job if he learned the native tongue, but do one better, he would translate the bible into their language.
By 1661, after fourteen years of hard labor, Eliot did just that. During his efforts, he also produced a dictionary of sorts of the Algonquin language of Massachusetts, at the same time producing the first published works at the first printing press in America., at Harvard College.
He discovered there was no word for honey bee so, being a creative and persistent fellow, he came up with one. It literally meant ‘white man’s flies’ and he assured anyone who asked, that indeed he had heard his Native American translators use the term.
Four hundred years later, trivial pursuit games and the internet are full of references to Native Americans referring to the honey bee as ‘white man’s flies’, except that is not the case.
Since Eliot’s inventive mind came up with the ‘Indian term’ for honey bees, there are few if any examples of Native Americans actually calling honey bees ‘white man’s flies’, outside a few romantic novels whose covers are graced with shirtless Native America ‘hunks’ and some historical texts written by ‘experts’.
Sorry to all those witty folks who have impressed their friends with this quaint ‘white man’s flies’ trivial gem.
Title page from John Elliot’s Algonqian Indian Bible 1663.
From the NHPRC-supported Founders Online, Thomas Jefferson's 1775 Memorandum Book:
"Dr. Walker sais he remembers that the years 1724 & 1741. were great locust years. We all remember that 1758. was & now they are come again this year 1775. It appears then that they come periodically once in 17 years. They come out of the ground from a prodigious depth. It is thought they eat nothing while in this state; laying their eggs in the small twigs of trees seems to be their only business. The females make a noise well known. The males are silent."
#CicadaWeek: Did you know that cicadas are great timekeepers? As nymphs, they keep track of how long they’ve been underground by sensing how the tree ages and recording the annual tree flush in the spring. That’s how they know when to emerge!
No need to spray! Cicadas won’t harm mature trees, flowers, produce, or smaller plants—including farmed plants. In fact,...
No need to spray! Cicadas won’t harm mature trees, flowers, produce, or smaller plants—including farmed plants. In fact, cicadas can actually help your garden, because they can aerate lawns and improve water filtration. Cover younger trees with netting if needed! #CicadaWeek
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood." - Marie Curie It seems many of you are dealing with a...
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood." - Marie Curie
It seems many of you are dealing with a convergence of periodical cicada broods this summer, the likes of which hasn't been seen since Thomas Jefferson was president! The Library has created a new reference guide to help you understand these harmless creatures a bit better.
Included in the guide: Books, journal and historical newspaper articles, and even a 1939 USDA educational film, which this image was taken from.
The Library has created a new reference guide to help you understand these harmless creatures a bit better. Included in the guide: Books, journal & historical newspaper articles, and even a USDA educational film from 1939.
Are the cicadas out where you live? This cicada map from 1919 shows where that year's 17-year brood and 13-year brood...
Are the cicadas out where you live? This cicada map from 1919 shows where that year's 17-year brood and 13-year brood were expected to appear.
See this map and the accompanying article in the Peoples Herald on our site: Cicadas in 1919/ "17-Year Locust" Due This Year - Most Mysterious Insect Known to Scientists Will Invade Large Parts of the United States.
We get asked the question all the time - hey, why don't I see that many lightning bugs anymore? The simple answer is, maybe your community is no longer a good habitat for them. Before we get to the longer answer of why you're not seeing them anymore, you need to know how this beetle starts out life.
Fireflies lay their eggs in the ground where they then mature into glow worms. It's during this larval stage where they spend all their time eating other, tinier insects. Born and raised in the duff, they need the leaves that naturally litter the ground.
That’s why it's important to leave your backyards and street sides as untouched as possible every autumn to preserve the larvae and small insects living in the leaf litter. This helps to ensure a healthy, new year of fireflies.
Ok, leave the leaves, but what are some other ways to help?
Turn off outdoor lights in the evening. If you have inside lights on, close the blinds Plant native plants Mow grass less frequently and raise the length of the cut to 4 inches When leaves drop in the fall, rake them if you want, but keep them in your yard Use non-pesticide solutions for insect control
Check out the comments for more ways you can help re-glow and re-grow the firefly population.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Lucia (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
North America alone has more than 100 species of fireflies; but that may be changing. Butterflies, bees, and now...
North America alone has more than 100 species of fireflies; but that may be changing.
Butterflies, bees, and now fireflies, are all struggling to find places to live and reproduce. Across the country and world, people are wondering where the fireflies went.
Those who remember spectacular light shows report how they have now subsided. These observations have been verified by numerous scientific studies which cite massive population declines in insects.
Both the public, and scientists alike, are curious to know how our actions are affecting this major center of the food web.
For more on what's happening and ways you can help: Save the fireflies Looking through a microscope, a firefly’s head can be seen peering out Your childhood may be gone, but do the fireflies have to go with it?
Did you know firefly larvae eat pests like snails and slugs? 🐌 Whitley County Purdue Extension educator John Woodmansee explains how beneficial insects, like fireflies and ladybugs, support our ecosystems.
Did you know firefly larvae eat pests like snails and slugs? Whitley County Purdue Extension educator John Woodmansee explains how beneficial insects, like fireflies and ladybugs, support our ecosystems.
Did you know there are more than 700 species of butterflies in the United States? This one is a common buckeye, and can be seen feeding on nectar-producing flowers from the East Coast to the Southwest. What butterflies are you seeing this time of year?
Photo: Melissa Cheatwood
Here are five common swallowtail butterflies found throughout parts of the United States and Canada. You can attract these butterflies if you plant their host plants.
Here are five common swallowtail butterflies found throughout parts of the United States and Canada. You can attract these butterflies if you plant their host plants.
Mourning Cloak (l) and Question Mark (r) butterflies photographed on the Fox Island Upper Dune Trail 6-22-2023. Both of...
Mourning Cloak (l) and Question Mark (r) butterflies photographed on the Fox Island Upper Dune Trail 6-22-2023. Both of these species overwinter as adults and emerge in early spring to start their mating cycle. Mourning Cloaks have a life span of 11-12 months making them among the longest lived lepidoptera. Question Mark butterflies are identified by the 2-part mark on their dorsal hindwing. Comma Butterflies are very similar but with a single "C' shaped mark on their hindwing. Question Mark butterflies have a preference for rotting fruit, dung, carrion and tree sap when they emerge in the springtime when flower nectar may be scarce.
Photos: Jeff Ormiston
Mourning cloak butterflies can be found across much of North America. These butterflies have one of the longest lifespans of any butterfly with some living 11-12 months! 📷 Courtney Celley/USFWS
Mourning cloak butterflies can be found across much of North America. These butterflies have one of the longest lifespans of any butterfly with some living 11-12 months!
Courtney Celley/USFWS
Monarch Butterfly
On Saturday, 5-18-2019, a Monarch was spotted at Metea Co. Park!
It’s not too early to start checking for eggs.
Watch this monarch butterfly transform from caterpillar to chrysalis! And keep your eye out for more monarchs, because the annual Monarch Blitz has started! From July 28 to August 6, the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites you to find milkweed plants and look for monarch eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies in North America. Then, simply share your monarch and milkweed observations with one of several participating community science programs to help scientists better understand the butterfly’s breeding productivity, range, and timing. With so many monarchs and milkweeds across the continent, we rely on community scientists like you! Learn more and get involved at monarchblitz.org!
Watch this monarch butterfly transform from caterpillar to chrysalis! And keep your eye out for more monarchs, because the annual Monarch Blitz has started!
At the start of the spring breeding season, eastern populations of monarchs leave their winter habitat in the oyamel fir...
At the start of the spring breeding season, eastern populations of monarchs leave their winter habitat in the oyamel fir forests of Mexico to begin a northward journey. They move northward as milkweeds start growing on their migratory route.
These monarchs live for a few weeks with the females laying eggs along the way. Planting milkweed and other flowers native to your area is the perfect way to help monarchs as the next generation continues another stage of the northbound expedition.
Photo by J. Jurado / NPS
Monarch butterflies are back across Indiana for the summer! Now is a good time to check your milkweed leaves for...
Monarch butterflies are back across Indiana for the summer! Now is a good time to check your milkweed leaves for butterfly eggs and small larva. The eggs are very small and often on the underside of the milkweed leaf. Can you find the monarch egg on the common milkweed plant? TNC's Trevor Edmonson discovered it yesterday just outside the Kankakee Sands Preserve Office.
I was looking through my archives earlier and came across these monarch butterfly photos taken at Fox Island County Park a few years ago. Thought I'd share them again.
I was looking through my archives earlier and came across these monarch butterfly photos taken at Fox Island County Park a few years ago. Thought I'd share them again.
Monarch butterflies are famous for their impressive migration each spring and fall. It's so far that each leg of the journey to the northeast in the spring is completed by a new generation. Monarchs feed on wildflowers along the way, but will only lay their eggs on milkweed, which makes up 100% of the monarch caterpillar's diet!
At the end of the summer, the last generation of monarchs complete the final leg back to Mexico all by themselves, covering 3,000 miles, before starting the process over again in the spring. Leah Riley/USFWS #pollinatorweek
Adult monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, but they breed only where milkweeds are found. There has been a sharp decline in the monarch population and one of the contributing factors as to why, is a lack of food for them to eat. If you're thinking of planting milkweed to help regrow the monarch population, take this into consideration - not all milkweed plants are created equal. A recent study found that female monarchs will lay eggs on various milkweed species, but they prefer some over others. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca) were found to be a monarch favorite and averaged the highest number of eggs. If you've got some space in your yard, on your balcony, anywhere, plant some milkweed and help those monarchs, but make sure it's a milkweed native to your area and a variety that will help them succeed. Time-lapse video of monarch caterpillar eating milkweed, taken at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge by Volunteer Melanie Beal/USFWS
Adult monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, but they breed only where milkweeds are found.
There has been a sharp decline in the monarch population and one of the contributing factors as to why, is a lack of food for them to eat. If you're thinking of planting milkweed to help regrow the monarch population, take this into consideration - not all milkweed plants are created equal.
A recent study found that female monarchs will lay eggs on various milkweed species, but they prefer some over others. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca) were found to be a monarch favorite and averaged the highest number of eggs. If you've got some space in your yard, on your balcony, anywhere, plant some milkweed and help those monarchs, but make sure it's a milkweed native to your area and a variety that will help them succeed.
Time-lapse video of monarch caterpillar eating milkweed, taken at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge by Volunteer Melanie Beal/USFWS
Did you know the monarch butterfly population has been declining rapidly in North America since 1996? See how ARS...
Did you know the monarch butterfly population has been declining rapidly in North America since 1996? See how ARS scientists have developed the first-known cryopreservation protocol for long-term storage of the butterfly's germplasm. This technique could bring back this species of butterflies in the event of a population loss. Scientists Developed a Unique Approach to Conserve the Monarch Butterfly The technique will allow repopulation of the species in the event of a rapid extinction
Monarchs typically spend 8-15 days in their chrysalis form before emerging as butterflies. Most butterflies only live...
Monarchs typically spend 8-15 days in their chrysalis form before emerging as butterflies. Most butterflies only live 2-6 weeks, but the last generation to hatch each summer will live through the winter with most migrating all the way to Mexico!
Tina Shaw/USFWS
As days get shorter and temperatures start to drop, flowers fade and the monarch butterfly super generation gets the...
As days get shorter and temperatures start to drop, flowers fade and the monarch butterfly super generation gets the signal it's time to move. These butterflies live 8 times longer than their parents and grandparents and travel 10 times farther.
Brett Billings/USFWS
Zebra swallowtail butterfly
Today ( summer solstice) while walking the Upper Dune Trail at Fox Island Dan Preest and Jeff Ormiston observed two...
Today ( summer solstice) while walking the Upper Dune Trail at Fox Island Dan Preest and Jeff Ormiston observed two Zebra Swallowtail butterflies among the few standing Paw Paw trees. The Paw Paw is the host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars but seldom seen in the park.
Photo: Dan Preest, 6-21-23
I often see zebra swallowtails flapping around in the spring in areas near rivers and streams, which is often the...
I often see zebra swallowtails flapping around in the spring in areas near rivers and streams, which is often the habitat of its preferred host plant. After overwintering in the chrysalis, the adult butterfly emerges around this time of year to find mates over the next few months. The pawpaw is an important part of their life cycle, as this is where females will lay their eggs after mating. The larvae will then spend most of the later summer mowing down paws paw leaves before entering their metamorphic state.
In my experience, these butterflies are extremely flighty and rarely hold still, but they do enjoy puddling, where they land on organic-rich mud to suck up the tasty nutrients. After spotting this individual, I waited patiently until it found the perfect mud pile, where it sat and allowed for close photos.
Katydid
This neon pink katydid looks like it jumped out of a Lisa Frank illustration! 🌈 ACRES Stewardship Assistant Jenna Bair...
This neon pink katydid looks like it jumped out of a Lisa Frank illustration!
ACRES Stewardship Assistant Jenna Bair came across this colorful katydid while working in the field. Its pink color is the result of a genetic mutation that allows for abnormal amounts of red pigment in the absence of green.
Yesterday and today, Purdue Fort Wayne students are out at 
But climate change is affecting pollinators throughout the country, threatening food security and ecosystem health. 
Yarrow plants at the Memorial Gate, donated to Preservation Virginia by The Colonial Dames of America in 1907 and restored in 2019. Photo by Chuck Durfor.
Turn off outdoor lights in the evening. If you have inside lights on, close the blinds
Courtney Celley/USFWS