Podcasts about coleoptera

Summary: What are Tanuki eating? Join Kiersten as she discusses just what raccoon dogs are eating in the wild.   For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean   Show Notes:  Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids, edited by David W. Macdonald and Claudio Sillero-Zubiri. Raccoon dogs: Finnish and Japanese raccoon dogs - on the road to speciation?” By Kaarina Kauhala and Midair Saeki, pgs 217-226. https://static1.squarespace.com   Music written and performed by Katherine Camp   Transcript  (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife. (Piano music stops) Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… I'm Kiersten, your host, and this is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we'll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating.  This podcast will focus ten, ten minute episodes on different animals and their amazing characteristics. Please join me on this extraordinary journey, you won't regret it. This is episode three and the third thing I like about raccoon dogs is their diet. I actually do enjoy some of the same foods that raccoons dogs eat, but what I really like about their diet is how varied it is depending on their location. As mentioned before, Tanuki are classified as omnivores. Omnivores are animals that eat both meat and veggies. This is exactly what the Tanuki does. Let's look at what often determines the kind of food animals eat, their teeth. Tanukis are canids, which is the family of animals that include wolves, foxes, and domestic dogs. These animals usually share the same kind of dentition, or structure and layout of teeth. Most canids are classified as carnivores, even though many do eat fruits and vegetables at some time during the year. Takunis have six incisors in the top jaw and six incisors in the bottom jaw. They have two canines, top and bottom. They have four premolars, top and bottom. And two to three molars, top and bottom. This gives them a total of 42 to 44 teeth. This is a typical amount for a canine. In canids, the premolars are carnassial teeth. These are essentially modified molars that are sharp to help shred and tear meat. The carnassial teeth in the Tanuki are reduced compared to other canids and their molars are larger. This pattern speaks to their omnivorous diet. In the previous episodes we discussed a few differences between the indigenous Japanese populations and the introduced Finnish populations. We will continue this comparison with their teeth, because there are noticeable difference between the different populations, so much so that scientists can determine the origin of a raccoon dog by inspecting their teeth. Whoa! That's exactly what I thought, too! The case study I'm referencing measured 65 skulls from Finland raccoon dogs and 104 skulls from raccoon dogs in Honshu, Japan. They took 22 different measurements of adult teeth and skulls. The skulls of Finnish raccoon dogs were larger both overall and in relative body size than those of the Japanese population. Mandible width and jaw height were the most useful measurements in determining location of each raccoon dog with a 100% correct classification.  The mandibles of the Finnish raccoon dogs are more robust with a more powerful jaw than those of Japanese origin. Japanese individuals have a longer snout with longer tooth rows than the Finnish specimens. Molars of the Japanese raccoon dogs are larger in relation to skull size versus the Finnish Tanuki. What do these differences in skull and tooth morphology tell us about these creatures? Excellent question, listeners! It tells us what they are eating.  So what are Tanuki eating in the wild. As we just discovered, it appears to depend on where they are located. I find that fascinating! They are the same animal but their diet varies depending on what habitat they live in. It shows how adaptable they are and this is certainly an attribute they share with the North American Raccoon, after whom they are named.  Tanuki, in general, are ominous, which means they eat both meat and vegetation. The percentage and type of food varied depending on Japan versus Finland. As we just determined, Finland raccoon dogs have slightly larger jaws meaning their massater muscles are larger which in turn mean they probably eat more meat and possibly larger prey than Japanese Tanuki.  How do researchers determine what animals in the wild are eating? Poop! A lot of poop. Scientists, often undergraduates eager to get into the sciences, collect lots and lots of feces. You have to note the area where it is found, the date, time of day, and any other factors that might be important, such as the weather. These samples are then returned to the lab were they will be processed and someone gets to dissect an awful lot of poo!  In this case study the researchers determined that thought the year the diet of raccoon dogs, whether in Finland or Japan, varies. This is most likely due to natural resource fluctuations. In Finland frogs, lizards, and invertebrates are commonly eaten in summer and autumn. Fish are eaten in late winter. Berries and fruits are eaten in late summer and autumn. If we look at food resources in percentages we see 56% of mammals, voles and shrews being very popular, 34% were bird remains, 8% were frogs or lizards, 20% fish, 51% invertebrates, 89% plants, and 49% carrion, which is dead, decaying animal matter. A note on the most common bird remains found in Finland raccoon dog feces, the Common Eider, a type of duck found in coastal waters, and eggs were most often found in Finland's raccoon dogs feces. It is not believed that at the time of the recording of this podcast that the predation of the Tanuki on the Common Eider in Finland detrimentally impacts their populations. Let's take a look at the diet of the Japanese populations. In Japan, Tanuki diet has been studied in different habitats. For the most part, it follows the same pattern as the Finland population with invertebrates fruits, rodents, birds, frogs and fish. In the subalpine zone diet consisted of 90% insects mainly Coleoptera, which is the family that includes a lot of beetles, and these were seen year round. 58% included earthworms except in the cooler months of January to April. Berries and seeds made up 49% of the diet. These were also seen year round with a lower amount in January to April when fewer plants are producing berries and seeds. 46% of the diet consisted of small mammals, January to June.  In mountainous regions diet consisted of 78 to 100% of Coleoptera insects in spring and summer, Orthoptera in autumn, that's grasshoppers and crickets, and Hemiptera, which includes the True Bugs, in winter. Fruits are eaten year round with a percentage of 77 to 100%, except in May. This is may be because the fruits are just ripening at this time. From April to December, crustaceans, such as Japanese freshwater crabs, make up 28 to 71% of the diet with fish at 9 to 27%, birds 8 to 21%, small mammals 7 to 25%, carrion consisting mainly of sika deer and serow, aka goat-antelopes, at 10 to 37%.  In the countryside, insects seem to be the most important food resource year round with available fruits such as persimmon supplementing the diet in autumn and early winter.  In urban and suburban areas, raccoon dogs will feed mainly around human dwellings and have included garbage into their diet. No surprise there! Any animal that has adapted to living in human dominated areas has taken advantage of our propensity to create a lot of trash. Garbage was found year round at a percentage of 72%, with insects, mainly beetles, at 46%, persimmon fruit at 30% in spring and summer, earthworms at 24%, birds at 21% in winter and spring, and Myriapoda, millipedes and centipedes at 11% year round.   This may have been a bit more specific than you expected in our talk about diet. But I found the differences and similarities across the populations interesting enough to highlight the percentages. Plus, someone did a lot of poop scooping and dissection to get this information, so I thought I'd spread the information around as far as possible. No pun intended.  Once again I think this episode shows the adaptability of the Tanuki and makes them an even more fascinating canine. Thanks for hanging in there to the end, listeners, because my third favorite thing about this unknown canine is their diet. If you're enjoying this podcast please recommend me to friends and family and take a moment to give me a rating on whatever platform your listening. It will help me reach more listeners and give the animals I talk about an even better chance at change.    Join me next week for another fascinating episode about Tanuki.       (Piano Music plays)  This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.

This week is all about the tiger beetles the incredibly fast and ferocious Coleoptera that can't seem to stay in a taxonomic family.    Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46499107 IG: https://www.instagram.com/insects4fun/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085443614825 Email: Insectsfordummies@gmail.com  Discord -> https://discord.gg/pDJH3CYcG6   Music from LofiGirl with featured Artist: HM Surf  

High temperatures and extreme weather events can have numerous impacts on wine grapes and ultimately wine quality. Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Service finds that changes in ripening patterns are the most common. In high heat, sugars accumulate faster, acids degrade, ripening happens earlier and the result is higher alcohol wines. The challenge is that ripening is not linear. Tannins and maturation of the seeds do not progress at the same pace. Plus, high pH causes color and flavor instability. Andreea is experimenting with verjus, the juice of green grapes. In North America, grapes from crop thinning are traditionally considered waste. However, in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, green grape juice is used in many culinary practices. Verjus has little sugar, high acidity, and low pH making it a perfect addition to unbalanced wines. Learn about her current experiment testing both red and white grape verjus against three other acidification methods. Plus, Andreea gives listeners tips on how to prevent that green pepper flavor caused by ladybug taint. Resources: 145: New Class of Compounds Linked to Smoke Taint in Wines (Podcast) 143: Can Barrier Sprays Protect Against Smoke Taint in Wine? (Podcast) Dr. Andreea Botezatu's LinkedIn page Dr. Andreea Botezatu ResearchGate Dr. Andreea Botezatu Google Scholar Malo-Lactic Fermentation in a New Climate Sustainable Wine Practices Texas A&M Facebook page Texas A&M Foundation Texas AgriLife Extension Enology YouTube Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  And my guest today is Andreea Botezatu She is Associate Professor and extension enology specialist at Texas A&M University, the Texas AgriLife Service. Thanks for being our guest today.   Andreea Botezatu  0:11  Thank you for having me.   Craig Macmillan  0:12  We're very interested in some of the work you've been doing recently around effects of warming climates on vines and on wines. You're in enologist. In particular, you've been doing work on wine quality. That Correct? And you've been doing work in Texas, obviously.   Andreea Botezatu  0:26  Yes, for the past seven years or something. Yeah.   Craig Macmillan  0:30  And would you say that temperatures during the growing season in Texas overall have been increasing?   Andreea Botezatu  0:35  I would Yes, the temperatures historically have been increasing. And furthermore, we see a lot more extreme weather events. So temperature records being broken, as well as like I said, extreme weather storms, winds hail, a lot of hail we, we've been having quite a bit of hail in Texas. So these can affect the process of grape growing.   Craig Macmillan  0:58  Absolutely. So definitely, there's been some changes, how has this been affecting one quality, what particular parameters are being most affected?   Andreea Botezatu  1:04  Right. So this is not straightforward answer for this question. Because because several things can happen when you have extreme weather events and temperatures rising. The biggest one that we see here is a changing ripening patterns. So sugar accumulation and acid degradation, they kind of change sugar tends to accumulate much faster, because of the earlier heat we tend to see earlier ripening. So earlier, harvesting sugar accumulates faster acids degrade quite a bit, the ripening is not linear anymore. So we see ripening in terms of sugar, but we don't see that in terms of tannins or aroma compounds or maturation of the seeds. So there's a bit of disconnect there. That's one thing because of the higher sugar accumulation, we tend to see higher levels of alcohols in wine, which is not necessarily a good thing. There's only so much so much alcohol that you want to have in wine that becomes overbearing and unpleasant and the wines will be unbalanced. Most importantly for us in Texas, and I'm sure for any other grape growing region that deals with high temperatures is an increase in pH because of acid degradation. We see grapes coming in with very low titratable acidity, we're talking three four grams per liter, and then pH is of four and above.   Craig Macmillan  2:31  Wow.   Andreea Botezatu  2:32  Yeah, yes, wow, indeed, very, very high pH is that we have to deal with as winemakers as I'm sure your audience knows high pH can cause a host of problems and wine quality problems from microbiological instabilities, compromising one quality that way to color, instability, aroma, and flavor, balance all of that. So that's a big thing that's happening.   Craig Macmillan  2:56  And those high sugars are also problematic just for getting your fermentations done.   Andreea Botezatu  3:00  Absolutely. You can have problems starting your fermentation, you can have problems finishing your fermentation,   Craig Macmillan  3:05  What kinds of things are winemakers doing to try to manage these factors, but and what kinds of things are you looking at to try to manage these factors?   Andreea Botezatu  3:13  Right, so my researcher at A&M, is focused on acidity and acidity management, again with a focus on pH more so than titratable acidity. So over the past six years, we've been looking at two alternative acidification methods. One is enzymatic, it employs the use of glucose oxidase that is a is an enzyme that helps transform glucose into Gluconic acid, thereby increasing the acidity of the wine and increasing the pH. So we've done some research on both reds and whites. And that research has been published in peer reviewed journal. So those are links that I can share with you and now we are working with verjus and that falls within the sustainability category as well because a little bit of background on what verjus is and how it can help. Verjus is the juice of green grapes. It is produced from unripe grapes that are pressed and the juice obtained is called verjus which comes from French, the French language jus vert, green juice. So basically it means green juice. And because it's made from unripe grapes, you can imagine there's little sugar in it, the acidity is quite quite high and the pH is quite low. Traditionally, grape growers can practice this crop thinning practice to manage their crop and crop quality. What they do is they drop some of the grapes on the vine before they ripen in order for all the resources of the vine to be directed to the grapes that are leftover. So the grapes that are getting dropped are traditionally especially in North America considered waste nothing is done with them. They are left on the vineyard floor. I have a European background right and I I grew up with these grapes being turned into virjus, we have a different name for it in Romanian, but same idea. And this juice was used quite heavily for various culinary practices in Eastern Europe and throughout the Middle East. So remembering that I thought, Well, why not try to take these grapes and make verjus out of them and you start to acidify? It is a natural product that comes from the vineyard and it gives added value to the grapes, right?   Craig Macmillan  5:29  And these grapes, are we talking just past verasion, are we talking still in the in the berry green hard pea stage?   Andreea Botezatu  5:36  So verjus traditionally is made pre veraison. There's not a set date for grape thinning or verjus production. It can vary anywhere from 30 days post bloom to 45 days post bloom and the beginning of verasion there.   Craig Macmillan  5:53  So tell me more about this. We make some verjus we collect some berries that haven't been through verasion yet, and then they're crushed, repressed or something. I'm also curious, is this done? Can this be done with both red and white varieties?   Andreea Botezatu  6:03  Again, a very good question. So last year, we had our first experiment with verjus and we made it with white from white grapes on Muscat Canelli. This year, we are making it from both white and red, we're using different varieties. And we're looking a little bit differently at it. So still, we want to see how it affects one quality and wine sensory profile. But what we're doing extra this year, so we're doing red and white. And on top of that we are comparing this method with three different acidification methods, three other acidification methods, both from a chemical and sensory perspective. So we're looking at, you know, the traditional tartaric acid addition that most wineries do, we're looking at verjus addition, we're looking at the GLX glucose oxidase that I mentioned earlier. And we're looking at ion exchange, which is becoming quite popular for pH reduction.   Craig Macmillan  6:57  Tell me more about that.   Andreea Botezatu  6:58  So ion exchange resins are widely used in water treatments, soft water, hard water, depending on what you're trying to achieve. Basically, there, there's resins that have been charged, and they can release either cations or anions. In our case, the resin that we use releases protons or hydrogen ions, and then the potassium in the wine gets reduced. And by releasing protons, increases the number of protons in solution, thereby decreasing the pH. And you basically pump your wines through this ion exchange column that holds the resin and it comes up on the other end.   Craig Macmillan  7:35  If I understand correctly, that's also removing the potassium, which is the buffer that's keeping it high. All right.   Andreea Botezatu  7:40  Some of that, yes, not all of it. Yes.   Craig Macmillan  7:43  Are you doing this at the juice stage, we're doing this just after fermentation. During aging?   Andreea Botezatu  7:48  We are doing this at the juice stage, from everything that I've heard in the industry, it is better to have it done at the juice stage, it has less impact on the final wine quality, but it's gentler, so yes, at all the treatments that we're doing, we're doing them at the juice stage and then fermentation follows sterilization and everything else.   Craig Macmillan  8:08  What kind of quantity or ratio of verjus might we need is in liquid or by weight to get these kinds of impacts that we're after?   Andreea Botezatu  8:19  Right? So it depends on what we're trying to achieve. We asked that question with our study last year. So we had two treatments last year one to see how much verjus we needed to add to drop the pH by one point. So let's say you start at 3.6, we're gonna bring it down to 3.5. How much verjus do I need to add to achieve that and the other one, the other treatment was to target pH. So again, you start at 3.6, but you want to drop it to 3.3. We did both. And it turned out in our experiment that we needed to add 2% by volume verjus to drop the pH by one pH point. And then for the target pH we needed, we added about 10 to 11% verjus to get to the target we wanted. So you know it depends on what you're starting with the pH you're starting with a depends on the pH of your verjus. And that makes a big difference. We're working with lower pH verjus this year compared to last year. So that might change things a little but this is what we got so far between two and 10%. With a pH is that we worked with.   Craig Macmillan  9:24  If I remember correctly during that latter phase before verasion when we get past like lag phase or so what's happening with the reduction in acidity is that the malic acid is getting metabolized basically as an energy source tartaric may come down a little bit during that period, if I remember right, so if I am picking things early, like pre raisin, I'm assuming there's going to be a quite a bit of malic acid in that juice.   Andreea Botezatu  9:50  That's right. Yes.   Craig Macmillan  9:52  And is that going to affect what I do from winemaking perspective?   Andreea Botezatu  9:55  Well, for whites, very little for reds. I think it's absolutely a positive thing because most winemakers will want to put their reds through malolactic fermentation. And that's problematic. Now here with a high pH is because if you have a malolactic fermentation with a high pH wine, you can run into a million different problems and have really serious quality issues. So by adding this natural malic acid from the grapes, you allow then your winemakers to run their malolactic fermentations at a safe pH and get that effect of roundness and softness and all the sensory properties that come with it.   Craig Macmillan  10:34  Are there things that growers can do in the field, we're talking about the bears up, so the things that other things that we can do in the vineyard to help ameliorate some of these are things that people experimenting with, or winemakers are interested in having vineyard folks experiment with.   Andreea Botezatu  10:48  I mean, in the vineyard, there's only so much you can do once your vineyard has been planted. Water management is very important. And it helps a lot makes a big difference. Water stress can can have quite the impact on grape quality and Vine health as well. So water management is a big thing. And then canopy management is another one, you want to make sure that your grapes are a little bit shaded, they're not completely exposed to the sun, so you avoid sunburn and heat and light exposure. These are things that some grape growers can do. Some grape growers in Europe, as far as I know, plant grass coverings to reduce the evapotranspiration, the soil level to maintain water in the soil as well some modify their canopy structure, raise the trunk. So there are a few options. But I would say water management and canopy management are the most important ones. However, there is something that can be done and is actually being done actively in various parts of the world. As temperatures change. grape growers are changing the varieties that they're planting to adapt to these higher temperatures and different weather patterns. So they're looking at varieties that are a lot more heat tolerant. And that's a big change, that's a big change. And that's going to have a big impact.   Craig Macmillan  12:07  Just to go back for a second, when we talk about irrigation management, what you're talking about is not stressing the vines overly you want them to be happy,   Andreea Botezatu  12:14  You know, vines, like a little bit of stress. So but not as much as we see with these types of temperatures here. So yes. Keep them somewhat happy.   Craig Macmillan  12:25  So there's some things that we need, we need to stay on our game, basically in the vineyard - monitor, monitor your your evapotranspiration, and also the plants status and all that kind of thing. Because I have seen vines and heat, you know, basically collapse. Yes. And, you know, it's all the chemistry in the grape just goes nuts. They're like at the last minute, you know, and you're like, Oh, we're doing great and everything goes to heck. what Oh, what about shade cloth? Are people using shade cloth?   Andreea Botezatu  12:51  Yes. So the answer is yes, you can use that. And another thing that they are using this has nothing to do with temperature but rather hail they use hail netting to protect their vines from from hail.   Craig Macmillan  13:03  Oh, interesting. Interesting. I've heard about that in Europe, and I've never seen it in the United States.   Andreea Botezatu  13:07  Yeah, well come to Texas.   Craig Macmillan  13:08  I'm gonna I do I need to come to Texas. I got a friend there who's a bit of culture tonight. He keeps saying you gotta come check it out. You gotta come check it out.   Andreea Botezatu  13:14  Well, I feel sometimes that like we are the main lab for grape growing in the world, because we've we've already done all this work because it's hot here anyways. So we started this 20, 30 years ago. Like we can teach the world a thing or two about grape growing in hot climates, really.   Craig Macmillan  13:34  And that's a really good point is that there's resources in other parts of the United States or the parts of the world that that may apply to your world. If you're in a different region as your region changes, then I've definitely learned that over time, I will look out for other sources outside of California. I'm in California, I'm on the Central Coast, California, which has traditionally been a very cool area. And we're gonna see if that continues, which then leads back to your point. So changing varietals, or varieties, I should say changing varieties, what direction are people going in? What's the what are people thinking?   Andreea Botezatu  14:09  Right, So people are looking at heat tolerant varieties. And these two, again, both come from hotter regions, southern regions, so we're looking at Spain, southern Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, some of the Georgian varieties as well. Some seem to be doing quite well. I can give you some examples of varieties that we have in Texas,   Craig Macmillan  14:30  Please.   Andreea Botezatu  14:31  We've planted a lot of Tempranillo, Mouvedre, Vermentino, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Sagrantino does fantastic here Tannat. does very well here as well. Albarino on the wine, white side, I said Vermentino we have some Russanne and Marsanneare doing okay, but southern Italian Spanish Portuguese varieties are quite the stars.   Craig Macmillan  15:00  That's interesting, and how are how are winemakers feeling about this? I mean, are they excited? Are they? Are they having a great time? I mean, Tannat was a very exciting variety about 10 years ago and have made some really nice wines in California, are people getting into it? Are they excited about it?   Andreea Botezatu  15:15  So winemakers are very excited about all of that the problem is not the winemakers, it's the consumers who are not not familiar with these varietals, they don't have name recognition, so convincing the consumers to try them and buy them and come back for them that that is the main problem that we are having now. But I think we're making a lot of progress. And actually, some of my research is focused on that as well. So name recognition and pronunciation and comfort in purchasing or choosing a wine that's hard to pronounce and submitted an article for publication, or looking at that just today.   Craig Macmillan  15:49  Just today, timely as today's headlines. Well, I'll be looking for that I'll be looking forward to that yet to people, you know, people will have to be kind of familiar with it, you know, they have to kind of recognize it over time, I think that can can definitely happen. I mean, I was thinking about SSangiovese  in the United States, I'm thinking about Syrah, even in the United States, that was one that wasn't that labeled that much 30 years ago. And now we've got a whole fan base nationwide for that variety. And so maybe that same kind of thing will happen. And I hope so finding the plant for the place is huge, you know, and so if things are changing, we may want to think about finding different plants for that place.   Andreea Botezatu  16:25  I mean, look at Bordeaux, right? They Bordeaux, in France, they were approved to use six new varieties, which is extraordinary considering how long they only stuck with a traditional Bordeaux varieties. So now they are allowed to grow six new varieties, four reds and two white. So that's that's quite something. And that's not the only place where that is happening.   Craig Macmillan  16:47  Yeah, that's, that's very interesting. It will also be interesting to see if we have breeding plant breeding programs along these lines as well. That's an even harder road to hoe, because there's no history with it with a plant like that. But it's an interesting idea. I need to find a grower I need to find a plant breeder to talk to. So changing gears a little bit. There's something else that you've been working on that I'm really fascinated by. And that is Ladybug taint. And we are talking about the ladybug, we're talking about high sparrow.   Andreea Botezatu  17:14  Yeah, we're actually talking about ladybugs and this has been the subject of my PhD research and my postdoc work. So I've spent six, seven years looking at ladybugs and how they can affect wine quality. So for a little bit of background I have to start and be with some science. There is a group of compounds called methoxypyrazines that are naturally occurring in the world naturally occurring in plants. Many vegetables contain them bell peppers, for example, will have high levels of methoxypyrazines Peanuts, peas, green beans, some fruits contain them as well and grapes within a category of fruits, some grape varieties will naturally produce methoxypyrazines. These compounds smell like bell pepper in green beans like the vegetables that couldn't contain them. So at low quantities, low concentrations in grapes. These compounds methoxypyrazines can contribute to the paucity of the wine to complexity of the aroma profile and flavor profile of the wines. If however, these quantities increase, the concentrations increased, they can become overpowering and dominate the profile of the wine and you don't want your wine to smell like bell peppers and nothing else. Really, that's no fun. Another source of methoxypyrazines in the world is insects, in particular, lady beetles, ladybugs, and within the ladybugs category there are some species that are more apt at producing them but also infesting Vineyards, one of these species is called Harmonia axyridis, or the multicolored Asian lady beetle also known as MALB. Now this is a species that has been introduced into North America from Asia as a method of bio control against aphids in the 1960s mistaken and in time, it has established populations here and it has begun to spread so as the bio control method is very successful, it does what it's supposed to do but once the aphids are gone and the soybeans are picked harvested, then it looks for other sources of food and it can migrate into vineyards so these are the beetles will fly into vineyards they don't damage the grapes they don't bite into they don't want the grapes but they do feed on grapes that happen already open or cut for the sugar is you know is exposed in any way the flesh is exposed in anyways. And what happens is that if you pick the grapes with these lady beetles in them and you bring them into the winery with lady beetles in the menu, process them with lady beetles in these way they will also secrete something that's called hemolymph. It's basically their blood and this hemolymph will contain again Methoxypyrazines at quite high concentrations, these Methoxypyrazines get into wine, they tend to wine. So the wine will smell like bell pepper and green beans and potatoes and peanuts. And what's also interesting is that the ratio of these Methoxypyrazines is different in the hemolymph of lady beetles, as opposed to the ones naturally occurring in grapes. So there's one particular Methoxypyrazines , that's dominant in grapes, that's isobutyl Methoxypyrazines  IBMP, whereas in ladybugs, it's the isopropyl Methoxypyrazines , and that's dominating. And that can be also a method of diagnostic, you know, if you're looking at a wine that smells like that, and you're not sure, where did they come from, if IBMP is the dominant one, most likely there was a lady beetle infestation there, if IPMP is the highest one, and it's just the grape and weather conditions or whatnot.   Craig Macmillan  20:51  Arectheir control measures, cultural things are their chemical things in the vineyard. And then the subsequent then moving to the next step is what what can wineries do when the grapes come in? Can they inspect the fruit?   Andreea Botezatu  21:05  Absolutely. So in the vineyard, there are some sprays that can be applied to get rid of the lady beetles. However, you have to be careful as a grape grower with pre harvest interval there. SO2 has been tested as a spray in the vineyard against a lady beetles as well and used to be very effective, which you know, it's very helpful because it's SO2 we sprayed and it was already added anyway. So that helps to have some natural products natural essential oils that have been tested, they were shown to be quite effective at repelling lady beetles. And then there's the same yo chemical, the push pull traps. So you want to have compounds that repel the lady beetles in the middle of your vineyard, and then compounds that attract the lady beetles outside of your vineyard. So it's a push pull system. That's what can be done in the vineyard. And then once grapes are harvested on the winery side, we need to make sure if we are aware that there was a lady beetle presence in the vineyard, we want to make sure we sort our grapes, very, very careful. I mean, it doesn't take much to taint the wine one lady beetle per kilogram of grapes is more than enough. So you got to be very careful when sorting to make sure we get rid of all lady beetles. And also what's important to remember is that even dead lady beetles can taint the wine. So even if you spray them kill them, if they're still coming in, they still have the potential to taint the wine. And that's one thing that's the first step that you can do as a winemaker, if still after that you have an issue with Ladybug tainting your wine, there are some things you can do. They're not extremely effective. So juice clarification has been shown to help a lot. Thermo vinification has been shown to help actually one very good method at reducing pyrazine levels in wine is Flash détente. That is very, very successful. And we have that here in Texas. And we have some wineries that use Flash détente are not necessarily for methoxy partisans for other purposes as well. But very successful at doing that. Some refinding treatments more or less successful. In my research, I looked at my plastic polymers and silicone and they worked, but you need to find a form of application to apply them industrial, you know, commercially. So right now we're not there yet.   Craig Macmillan  23:20  And these techniques were wondering would apply to both red and white wines.   Andreea Botezatu  23:24  Well, fining is more difficult with reds because of the loss of color. So it's easier with whites, but Flash détente on the other hand is better with reds than with whites. So thermo identification Flash détente would be better suited for it.   Craig Macmillan  23:38  In your experience. Do you think you're seeing an increase in Ladybug infestation? And is that possibly tied to the changes in climate?   Andreea Botezatu  23:46  Well, yes, we see a change in patterns. I don't know if necessarily an increase they seem to be moving from certain places and arriving in other places. So places that didn't used to have ladybugs have them now and then they move out certain areas. So yeah, there's a shift so people need to know about them. grape growers need to be aware of this problem and monitor their vineyards for ladybugs, you know, you don't think about it. They're cute little things and people seem to like them, oh, they're just ladybugs, but they can be quite quite detrimental, especially in particular species, which is quite easy to identify it has that M on the pronoun. So very easy to spot and to be aware of. So yes, grape growers need to keep an eye out for lady beetles in places where maybe they never used to have them before. Just something to be aware of.   Craig Macmillan  24:39  If we're talking about one particular species, is this an issue with other species in the order of Coleoptera?   Andreea Botezatu  24:47  To a much lesser extent, this one is worst one Coccinella septempunctata the seven beetle can summon spot beetle can also taint wines but we just don't see them in vineyards as much they're not as much of an issue as Harmonia.   Craig Macmillan  25:01  Interesting, we're getting close to our time here on both topics. Let's start with climate winemaking. And then let's talk about lady beetle. What is one thing that you would tell growers or winemakers regarding that topic and let's start with, with the warm wine.   Andreea Botezatu  25:17  Growers, I would advise them to choose their varieties carefully. When they initiate a vineyard when they start on the plan of vineyard and be very careful about their water treatment. To winemakers, I would say focus on pH rather than sugars focus on acidity. And also for those winemakers who look at malolactic fermentation in red as a given, I would urge them to reconsider. I personally don't see a reason why malolactic fermentation has to happen, especially if you have issues with acidity, it doesn't always benefit the wines. So and there are there are options out there to inhibit malolactic fermentation if you choose to do so there are several compounds that can help with that and help stabilize the wines from from that perspective. So I really, really encourage winemakers so at least think about that, start considering that as an option. Maybe start experimenting, you know, small amounts not necessarily go full on on not running malolactics, but start slow and see how it goes and see how that affects or changes the wine quality and wine stability.   Craig Macmillan  26:23  What about the lady beetle? What's the one thing you would tell both growers and winemakers about the lady bettle.   Andreea Botezatu  26:28  Do your best that so that it doesn't get into winery it's much easier to prevent than to fix the wines. So be very, very careful in the vineyard. Watch out for ladybugs and take them seriously if you see them.   Craig Macmillan  26:43  Action, early, early action, I think it was under chilled shift the closer to the crusher and the farther from the bottle you can fix a problem the more success you'll be. Well it looks like no farther from the crusher ahead of time. And closer to the crusher, after the crusher might be the solution. Where can people find out more about you?   Andreea Botezatu  27:04  Oh, I can share links to my Texas A&M page, my YouTube page. I have a YouTube channel where I post I have several different playlists where I post different videos related to enology wine quality, I can share with you the links to my peer reviewed papers on ladybug taint and pH management so they can find them on your website.   Craig Macmillan  27:27  That would be great. Yeah, but at least things will be on the show page. As always. Folks, I want to thank you for being on on the podcast. Our guest today was Andrea Botezatu. She's Associate Professor and extension technology specialist with Texas a&m University, Texas AgriLife service. This has been very enlightening. I think a lot of us are thinking about this, especially places that have been growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for a long time. A lot of people are thinking about this.   Andreea Botezatu  27:52  Well, you're welcome. And it was a pleasure being here. I just want to finish if I may with an observation that I had winemakers and grape growers from California contacting me about verjus research so they're very excited about that. I'm glad that we are getting to talk about this and maybe more people will hear about this and start thinking about about these options.   Craig Macmillan  28:15  Absolutely. Absolutely.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai Nearly Perfect Transcription by https://otter.ai

Insects can give us the creepy-crawlies, but they can also fascinate and spark innovation in the human world. Entomologist Arthur V. Evans joins host Krys Boyd for a primer on the world of beetles – some 400,000 species strong – their ability to survive, and their importance to ecosystems. His book is “The Lives of Beetles: A Natural History of Coleoptera.”

After getting shrunk down and taking on some frogs, our heroes stopped by the Coleoptera Club in Dimville, a city of insects. After trying to rescue an abducted fairy, a giant centipede has emerged from the center of the building.Cast:Kyri Hester - Billy the Possum, Fighter and Dungeon Master (Instagram)Ash King - Sintra Redmaw, Gnoll, Paladin (Twitter)Connor Shenold - Jaska, Yote, RangerBrook Bullock - Ziansi, Spiderkin, Rogue (Twitter)Johnnie Payne - Twitch Grimfoot, Ratfolk, Necromancer Wizard (Instagram)Michael Cross - Blackjack, Jackalopefolk, Warlock of Sneaky Coyote (Twitter)Crew:Aidyn Cross - Show Runner (Twitter)Theme Music - The Cinemagician PJ Castillo (Instagram)Incidental Music - Jeffrey McBride (Facebook)Sound Effects and additional music courtesy Table Top Audio, Syrinscape and Monument StudiosDice for the cast of Red Dirt DnD provided by Esty Way Gaming.You can find Red Dirt DnD on Facebook, Twitter and on our website: RedDirtDND.comThere's also new content on our YouTube and Twitch pages, just search for Red Dirt DnD.We would love for you to become a Patron of our podcast, you can join us on our Patreon Page.Red Dirt DnD is a Sneaky Coyote Production.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Short Research Summary: Can insects feel pain? A review of the neural and behavioural evidence by Gibbons et al. 2022, published by Meghan Barrett on November 22, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. This short research summary briefly highlights the major results of a new publication on the scientific evidence for insect pain in Advances in Insect Physiology by Gibbons et al. (2022). This EA Forum post was prepared by Meghan Barrett, Lars Chittka, Andrew Crump, Matilda Gibbons, and Sajedeh Sarlak. The 75-page publication summarizes over 350 scientific studies to assess the scientific evidence for pain across six orders of insects at, minimally, two developmental time points (juvenile, adult). In addition, the paper discusses the use and management of insects in farmed, wild, and research contexts. The publication in its entirety can be reviewed here. The original publication was authored by Matilda Gibbons, Andrew Crump, Meghan Barrett, Sajedeh Sarlak, Jonathan Birch, and Lars Chittka. Major Takeaway We find strong evidence for pain in adult insects of two orders (Blattodea: cockroaches and termites; Diptera: flies and mosquitoes). We find substantial evidence for pain in adult insects of three additional orders, as well as some juveniles. For several criteria, evidence was distributed across the insect phylogeny, providing some reason to believe that certain kinds of evidence for pain will be found in other taxa. Trillions of insects are directly impacted by humans each year (farmed, managed, killed, etc.). Significant welfare concerns have been identified as the result of human activities. Insect welfare is both completely unregulated and infrequently researched. Given the evidence reviewed in Gibbons et al. (2022), insect welfare is both important and highly neglected. Research Summary The Birch et al. (2021) framework, which the UK government has applied to assess evidence for animal pain, uses eight neural and behavioral criteria to assess the likelihood for sentience in invertebrates: 1) nociception; 2) sensory integration; 3) integrated nociception; 4) analgesia; 5) motivational trade-offs; 6) flexible self-protection; 7) associative learning; and 8) analgesia preference. Definitions of these criteria can be found on pages 4 & 5 of the publication's main text. Gibbons et al. (2022) applies the framework to six orders of insects at, minimally, two developmental time points per order (juvenile, adult). Insect orders assessed: Blattodea (cockroaches, termites), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies, mosquitoes), Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps, sawflies), Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths), Orthoptera (crickets, katydids, grasshoppers). Adult Blattodea and Diptera meet 6/8 criteria to a high or very high level of confidence, constituting strong evidence for pain (see Table 1, below). This is stronger evidence for pain than Birch et al. (2021) found for decapod crustaceans (5/8), which are currently protected via the UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. Adults of the remaining orders (except Coleoptera) and some juveniles (Blattodea, Diptera, and last juvenile stage Lepidoptera) satisfy 3 or 4 criteria, constituting substantial evidence for pain (see Tables 1 + 2). We found no good evidence that any insect failed a criterion. For several criteria, evidence was distributed across the insect phylogeny (Figure 1), including across the major split between the hemimetabolous (incomplete metamorphosis) and holometabolous (complete metamorphosis) insects. This provides some reason to believe that certain kinds of evidence for pain (e.g., integrated nociception in adults) will be found in other taxa. Our review demonstrates that there are many areas of insect pain research that have been completely unexplored. Research gaps are particularly substantial for juveniles, hig...

Xestobium rufovillosum! Coleoptera, coming at'cha! Tick Tick Tick... "Your mother knew ... She knew that when you hear the sound of the deathwatch beetle the man you love is doomed to die." On today's episode, The Stinas will discuss our favorite Practical Magic antagonist - THE DEATHWATCH BEETLE! We will explore its presence in the movie and all of the books, as well as all of the lore, superstitions, magickal properties, and scientific facts about this buggy bitch. Now excuse us while we go start our new metal band, Coffin Cutter! We ain't even gonna lie, this one got outta hand! Sorry for all the giggles (but not really)... WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Recorded: 10/06/22 SOCIALS: Patreon Instagram Kristina's Instagram Justina's Instagram WHERE TO FIND THE MOVIE AND BOOKS ADDITIONAL LINKS MAGNOLIA STREET PODCAST DISCLAIMER The Magnolia Street Podcast intends to discuss the movie, “Practical Magic” in its entirety. This will evidently result in spoilers and it is recommended that you watch and or read the following. Alice Hoffman's: Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons, Book of Magic. The Magnolia Street Podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional or medical advice. Do not attempt any of the discussed actions, solutions, or remedies without first consulting a qualified professional. It should be noted that we are not medical professionals and therefore we are not responsible or liable for any injuries or illnesses resulting from the use of any information on our website or in our media. The Magnolia Street Podcast presenters, Kristina Babich and Justina Carubia are passionate fans of Alice Hoffman's work and the Practical Magic word she has created. There is no copyright infringement intended, all characters and story lines are that of Alice Hoffman. We do not own any of that material as well as any of the move score music shared within the podcast. All intellectual property rights concerning personally written music and or shared art are vested in Magnolia Street Podcast. Copying, distributing and any other use of these materials is not permitted without the written permission from Kristina Babich and Justina Carubia. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/magnoliastreetpodcast/message

Wasps are often portrayed as one of “the bad guys” in the insect world. But part of that common misconception comes from a lack of knowledge or understanding about wasps in general and stereotypes that don't apply to most wasp species. The truth is that wasps are extremely diverse and what most of us think of when we think of a “wasp” makes up only the tiniest percentage of all wasps out there. In fact, there are likely many different species of wasps that haven't even been identified yet. And wasps play an extremely important role in the ecosystem – one that is often overlooked and not well-understood. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we are joined by Louis Nastasi who is a self-proclaimed ambassador for wasps. Louis is a PhD candidate at Penn State's Frost Entomological Museum which is Penn State's research collection of insects and other arthropods. He also founded and is one of the instructors for the Wasp ID Course, which will have its second session in January 2023. During our conversation, Louis and I dive into the fascinating diversity of wasps, especially parasitoid wasps, and their vital roles in the ecosystem. Louis believes that a lot of the misconceptions around wasps are due to a lack of recognition of just how diverse wasps are. Contrary to popular belief, most wasps aren't capable of stinging people and many are the size of a speck of dust. Like with the first episode that Louis was on, our conversation takes many twists and turns. We talk a lot about parasitoid wasps and just how amazing it is that many of these parasitoid relationships developed in the first place. (One of the wasps we talk about lays its eggs in diving beetle eggs which are found underwater!) We also discuss how much we don't know about these species and how much there is still to learn. But through it all, Louis's passion for wasps and wasp education shines through. Links: Louis's contact info: Email: LFN5093@PSU.edu Twitter: https://twitter.com/toomanywasps Wasp ID Course Website: https://WaspIDCourse.WordPress.com/ Twitter: @WaspIDCourse https://twitter.com/WaspIDCourse/ Email: waspIDcourse@gmail.com Other Resources: Forbes, A.A., Bagley, R.K., Beer, M.A. et al. Quantifying the unquantifiable: why Hymenoptera, not Coleoptera, is the most speciose animal order. BMC Ecol 18, 21 (2018). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12898-018-0176-x Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants [hardcover] Heather N. Holm February, 2021 * : https://amzn.to/3fMZAho Wasp related video clips (including the fairy wasp one) from Life in the Undergrowth hosted by David Attenborough: Underwater wasps: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003lcxg Oak Tree and Wasp Eggs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXccvoJThI Paper colony: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003lcxv Life in the Undergrowth hosted by David Attenborough (Full Documentary)*: https://amzn.to/3zYkGQU Related Backyard Ecology Resources: Galls: Amazingly Diverse and Fascinating Plant Growths: https://www.backyardecology.net/galls-amazingly-diverse-and-fascinating-plant-growths/ American Pelecinid Wasp: A Unique and Fascinating Critter: https://www.backyardecology.net/american-pelecinid-wasp-a-unique-and-fascinating-critter/ Wasps: Victims of an Often Undeserved Reputation: https://www.backyardecology.net/wasps-victims-of-an-often-undeserved-reputation/ Four-toothed Mason Wasp: https://www.backyardecology.net/four-toothed-mason-wasp/ Cicada Killers: Not as Menacing as They Appear: https://www.backyardecology.net/cicada-killers/ Eastern Red Velvet Ants: Doesn't Kill Cows and Isn't an Ant: https://www.backyardecology.net/eastern-red-velvet-ants-doesnt-kill-cows-and-isnt-an-ant/ Backyard Ecology Website: https://backyardecology.net YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/backyardecology Blog: https://www.backyardecology.net/blog/ Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/backyardecology Subscribe to Backyard Ecology emails: https://www.backyardecology.net/subscribe/ Episode image: A species of Ichneumon wasp, one of our many parasitoid species. Photo credit: USFWS Midwest Region, public domain

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:33).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-12-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of August 15 and August 22, 2022. MUSIC – ~19 sec – instrumental. That's part of ‘To the Wild,” by the Virginia band The Steel Wheels.  It opens an episode about a chance hearing of two very different kinds of wild animals, and how they might be similar or different, including in relation to water.  Have a listen to their calls for about 20 seconds and see if you know these two types of animals.  And here's a hint: one's in a scientific family with, and the other rhymes with, dogs. SOUNDS  - ~21 sec. If you guessed coyotes and frogs, you're right!  You heard barks and other sounds from coyotes, along with calls of Gray Treefrogs.  This lucky recording on the night of July 5, 2022, in Blacksburg, got your Virginia Water Radio host exploring potential connections and contrasts between this terrestrial mammal in the dog family, and this partially aquatic amphibian.  Here are seven areas of note. 1.  Like other living things, both coyotes and frogs are largely made of water and require it for biological functions.  Unlike coyotes, frogs can absorb water through their naked skin, that is, skin without scales, feathers, or fur. 2.  As amphibians, Gray Treefrogs breed in water, which of course coyotes don't. 3.  Like other mammals, coyotes keep a constant body temperature, and they evaporate water through panting to cool themselves.  Frogs' body temperature fluctuates with the environment; having naked skin that's permeable to water, frogs are at risk of drying out if their habitat isn't moist. 4.  Coyotes and adult frogs both have lungs for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, but, in frogs, gas exchange also occurs across their skin. 5.  Both are notable for their sounds.  Coyotes use barks, howls, and other sounds to communicate to family members and to potential competitors, and frog males use calls to attract females, signal their presence to other males, and perhaps to startle away predators. 6.  These animals appear together in at least three Native American legends, including one from the Kalapuya people of Oregon, called “The Coyote and the Frog People.”  In this story, the coyote sneakily digs through a dam the frogs use to hold all of the world's water for themselves; this then creates all the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls and ends the frogs' water hoarding. And 7.  Both coyotes and Gray Treefrogs show remarkable adaptability to human environments.  Coyotes are noted for occupying habitats near humans, such as city and suburban parks.  Gray Treefrogs, meanwhile, can also be found in human spaces, such as in swimming pools or on house walls or decks.  One wildlife biologist consulted for this episode said that in his Virginia county coyotes seem to “saunter by houses like they own the place”; in the frog world, noted another biologist, Gray Treefrogs have a somewhat similar reputation. Thanks to several Virginia Tech faculty members for providing information for this episode.  Thanks also to The Steel Wheels for permission to use their music, and we close with about 30 more seconds of “To the Wild.” MUSIC - ~30 sec – Lyrics: “I'm gonna run to the wild.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Virginia Water Radio thanks Mark Ford, Kevin Hamed, and James Parkhurst, all in the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, for contributing information to this episode. The Coyote and Gray Treefrog sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on July 5, 2022, at approximately 10:15 p.m. “To the Wild,” by The Steel Wheels, is from the 2017 album “Wild As We Came Here,” used with permission.  More information about The Steel Wheels is available online at https://www.thesteelwheels.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 490, 9-16-19. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES (If not otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) Coyote, photographed in Virginia Beach, Va., February 27, 2016.  Photo by Shawn Dash, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13877118(as of August 15, 2022) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Internbational.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.Gray Treefrog on the deck of a residence in Blacksburg, Va., September 23, 2009.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT ANIMALS IN THIS EPISODE The following information is excerpted from “Coyote” and “Gray Treefrog” entries of the Virginia Department of Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources' (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/.  The Coyote entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Taxonomy&bova=050125&version=19215; the Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Taxonomy&bova=020007&version=19215. Coyote (Scientific name: Canis latrans) Occurrence“Coyotes are thought to have started being seen in the 1950's and the 1960's here in Virginia, particularly in the western part of the state, and they now have an established population throughout the state.  Current occurrence throughout the state is attributed to the steady eastward migration of this species, which is due to the elimination of other large carnivores, such as red wolves, from their former ranges and to coyotes being highly opportunistic feeders and thus are highly adaptable to many habitats.” Physical Description“The males are generally larger than the females...with a body length of 1.0-1.35 meters, and a tail length of 400 millimeters.  The coat color and texture shows geographic variation, but usually the coat color is a grey mixed with a reddish tint.  ...This species is generally smaller than the grey wolf.  ...The track (70mm by 60mm) is more elongated than the domestic dog but shorter than either the gray or red wolf.” Reproduction“Yearling males and females are capable of breeding.  The percentage of yearlings breeding is controlled by food supply.  Gestation lasts 63 days.  The mean litter size is 5.3 and is affected by population density and food supply.” Behavior“The home range size of the males is 20-42 kilometers (km), and for females 8-10 km.   The female home ranges do not overlap whereas male home ranges do.  The average daily travel is reported as 4.0 km, with dispersal movements of 160 km not uncommon.  Favorable den sites include brush-covered slopes, steep banks, thickets, hollow logs, and rock ledges.  The dens of other animals may be used.  ...Dens may be shared and used for more than one year. ...Coyotes use visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile signals for communications.  They eat mostly rodents and rabbits but also take berries fruits and carrion.  They are primarily nocturnal and their howls can be heard for miles.” Gray Treefrog (Scientific name: Hyla versicolor) Occurrence“In Virginia, this species is distributed in the mountains north of the New River drainage, in the Blue Ridge, and in the Piedmont.” Physical Description“This species is identical in appearance to Hyla chrysoscelis [Cope's Gray Treefrog] but they do not interbreed.  These two species can be distinguished by chromosome number and by male mating call. ...Both species are well camouflaged.  They are usually gray but coloration ranges from gray to whitish to brown to green dependent upon environment and activities.  There is a whitish mark beneath the eyes and a bright orange or yellow on the concealed surfaces of the hind legs.  The dorsal skin is warty.  This species ranges in length from 32 to 62 milllimeters (1.25-2.5 inches).” Reproduction“Males call between March and August.  ...Breeding generally occurs from March to June.  The female lays clumps of 10 to 40 eggs per group on the surface of shallow ditches, puddles, and ponds  ...Eggs typically hatch in 4 to 5 days, and metamorphosis occurs in 45 to 64 days.” Behavior“This species is not often seen on the ground or near the water's edge except during the breeding season.  It tends to forage while in small trees or shrubs near to or standing in water.  This species is an opportunistic feeder focusing primarily on larval Lepidoptera [butterflies and moths], Coleoptera [beetles], and other arthropods.” Limiting Factors“This species is fairly arboreal, foraging from trees and shrubs in the vicinity of water. ...In general, this species requires shallow ponds with fallen branches or herbaceous growth on the water's edge.” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations“This species is typically associated with the following forest types: black willow, sweet gum-willow oak, white oak-red oak-black oak and mixed pine-hardwood.  They are frequently found in recently disturbed areas with shrub and herbaceous cover.” SOURCES Used for Audio Atlanta Coyote Project, “Coyote Activity Patterns, Ranges, and Vocalizations,” online at https://atlantacoyoteproject.org/coyote-activity-patterns-ranges-vocalizations/. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, “Animal Fact Sheet: Coyote,” online at https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/coyote.php. Burke Museum [Seattle, Wash.], “All About Amphibians,” online at https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/herpetology/all-about-amphibians/all-about-amphibians. Epic Ethics, “Coyote Returns Water from the Frog People—A Native Kalapuya Tale,” online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=six1kVQS_tw. First People of North America and Canada, “Native American Legends,” online at https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/. Kevin Hamed, Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, personal communication, August 11, 2022. Richard W. Hill, Comparative Physiology of Animals: An Environmental Approach, Harper & Row, New York. 1976. Internet Sacred Text Archive, “The Coyote and the Frog,” identified as a Hopi contained in The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth (1905), online at https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/hopi/toth/toth065.htm. John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, Bureau of Wildlife Resources Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries [now Department of Wildlife Resources], Richmond, Va., 2011. Lane Community College [Eugene, Ore.], “Kalapuya: Native Americans of the Willamette Valley, Oregon,” online at https://libraryguides.lanecc.edu/kalapuya. Miami [Fla.] Children's Museum, YouTube video (4 min./39 sec.) of “The Coyote and the Frog People,” celebrating Native American Heritage Month, November 3, 2020, online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q4km_HDGeI. Brian R. Mitchell et al., “Information Content of Coyote Barks and Howls,” Bioacoustics: The International Journal of Animal Sound and its Recording, Vol. 15, pages 289–314 (2006); online (as a PDF) at https://www.uvm.edu/~bmitchel/Publications/Mitchell_Information_content.pdf. National Geographic, “Coyote,” undated, online at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/coyote. National Parks and Recreation Association, “Coyotes Have Moved into Parks Across the United States—Now What,” by Richard J. Dolesh, Parks & Recreation, April 6, 2018, online at https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2018/april/coyotes-have-moved-into-parks-across-the-united-states-now-what/. New Hampshire PBS, “NatureWorks/Gray Treefrog,” online at https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/graytreefrog.htm. Oregon Encyclopedia [Oregon Historical Society], “Kalapuyan Peoples,” by Henry Zenk, undated, online at https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/kalapuyan_peoples/#.YvPg_RzMJPY. James Parkhurst, Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, personal communication, August 11, 2022. Roger Powell et al., Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, Mass., 2016. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources [formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries],“Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/; the Coyote entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=050125&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19215; the Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020007&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19215. Ya-Native, “Coyote Takes Water From the Frog People—A Plains Legend,” online at

00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are thrilled to be joined by her friend and colleague, Dr. Andrew Forbes! He's a parasitic insect kind of guy (not meant as an insult!) and we discuss his journey a bit before diving into some recent and exciting research! 00:35:37 - It could be argued that parasites drink the lifeforce of others, but hopefully that's not the case with us. Ryan doubles down with an Americano using Jorge Raul Rivera Pacamara Honey #96 beans from Chalatenango, El Salvador via Black & White Roasters, which is delicious. Kelly doesn't have a beer so is settling for a lactose-free White Salamander after wrapping up season 1 of her new project D.O.R.K.S. Andrew is enjoying some aged beer to celebrate the birth of his son in the form of a 2008-vintage Bigfoot Barleywine from Sierra Nevada. And Ryan comes back around to finish the segment with bourbon-barrel aged elderberry infused cider from Hawk Knob 00:46:46 - We continue our conversation with Andrew, including a discussion of these two (open access!) papers: Quantifying the unquantifiable: why Hymenoptera, not Coleoptera, is the most speciose animal order Ormyrus labotus (Hymenoptera: Ormyridae): Another Generalist That Should not be a Generalist is not a Generalist For more parasitic insects in your life, you can follow Andrew on Twitter @Lord_Forbinton 01:19:15 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like wasps; they can sting more than once and still survive. First up, Ryan and Kelly tackle a question from Brett H. about hyperparasitoids on Finnish islands (if you believe that Finland even exists) and then they come up with a BSso for patron Roberta A. R. who has impressively completed a study entitled: VESPA (Variability of ectoparasites on species of pollinating Apoidea): A study of a very cool wasps that infect bees then manipulate bee behavior to bury themselves underground so the temperature is better or something see the rest of the thesis for the details. Thanks, Roberta! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Flutterbee - Podington Bear Audio Production: Rob Heath

After their amazing experience during spring term of 2022, Dr. Seth Bybee and four students, Eva Jasinski, Rachel Sutherland, Lily Gregson, and Cordon Wade discuss their study abroad in Vietnam. Students worked with either Dr. Bybee on team Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) or Dr. Gareth Powell on team beetle (Coleoptera). 

Every time I pull a reference book or field guide off the shelf to read about a recently seen insect I seem to run across a quote by the famous entomologist E. O. Wilson. I like this comment I ran across recently on insects, calling them “the little things that run the world.” It's easy to see why someone would want to become an entomologist. You could specialize in any one of a number of orders in the Class Insecta; Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Lipidoptera…how many orders of insects are there? It depends who you talk to, but there are around thirty orders. Whoa, you could spend several lifetimes studying insects and never be done! This Growing Native episode only mentions three species from three different orders. I've got some learning to do! The photos are mine. The common buckeye butterfly is on an Apache plume shrub. The oak leaf grasshopper on the ground is among old oblong white oak leaves and the large leaves in the top right of the photo are sycamore. The fiery searcher ground beetle in my hand is with some of the old grass that came with the capture. It's a beautiful beetle!

Every time I pull a reference book or field guide off the shelf to read about a recently seen insect I seem to run across a quote by the famous entomologist E. O. Wilson. I like this comment I ran across recently on insects, calling them “the little things that run the world.” It's easy to see why someone would want to become an entomologist. You could specialize in any one of a number of orders in the Class Insecta; Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Lipidoptera…how many orders of insects are there? It depends who you talk to, but there are around thirty orders. Whoa, you could spend several lifetimes studying insects and never be done! This Growing Native episode only mentions three species from three different orders. I've got some learning to do! The photos are mine. The common buckeye butterfly is on an Apache plume shrub. The oak leaf grasshopper on the ground is among old oblong white oak leaves and the large leaves in the top right of the photo are sycamore. The fiery searcher ground beetle in my hand is with some of the old grass that came with the capture. It's a beautiful beetle!

Tato epizoda s číslem 126 je věnovaná Turkesteronu. Jedná se o zajímavou látku, o které je v poslední době celkem velký hype. Pomůže nám získat svalovou hmotu? Zvyšuje testosteron? Toto vše a mnohem více se dozvíš v této epizodě. Přejeme příjemný poslech a děkujeme vám za obrovskou podporu! Naši tvorbu můžeš podpořit nákupem suplementů Za Hranicí Fitness, využitím slevového kódu při nákupu u našich partnerů, nebo také sdílením, či recenzí na Apple Podcastech. Děkujeme za jakoukoliv formu podpory! Suplementy Za Hranicí Fitness najdeš na: ZAHRANICIFITNESS.cz/ESHOP Na celém e-shopu můžeš využít 5% slevový kód - ZAHRANICI5 Partneři podcastu MITOLIGHT.cz - 10% slevový kód - ZAHRANICI10 Brainmarket.cz - 10% slevový kód - ZAHRANICI10 Instagram - @zahranicifitness Facebook - Za Hranicí Fitness YouTube - Za Hranicí Fitness Web Podcastu - zahranicifitness.cz Reference 1) Effect of turkesterone and nerobol on the activity of the protein synthesizing system of mouse liver 2) INSECT HORMONES AND BIOANALOGUES: THEIR EFFECT ON RESPIRATORY METABOLISM IN DERMESTES VULPINUS L. (COLEOPTERA) 3) [Mechanism of the anabolic action of phytoecdisteroids in mammals] 4) Insect hormones in vertebrates: anabolic effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone in Japanese quail 5) Effects of Methoxyisoflavone, Ecdysterone, and Sulfo-Polysaccharide Supplementation on Training Adaptations in Resistance-Trained Males 6) ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations 7) Ecdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: p

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 404, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: "R"Rrrrrrrrr 1: Sometimes it's necessary to do this, meaning to reload your computer's operating system. reboot. 2: 3 points on one throw in horseshoes. ringer. 3: The stems of these Asian palms are used to make wicker furniture. rattan. 4: In a memorable 1982 TV movie, Jean Stapleton played this first lady. Eleanor Roosevelt. 5: Ionesco play that ends, "I'm the last man left, and I'm staying that way until the end. I'm not capitulating!". Rhinoceros. Round 2. Category: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do 1: In 1970 the world said "Hello, Goodbye" to this group whose film "Let It Be" documented their breakup. The Beatles. 2: After it broke up in 1991, 11 of its former republics joined the Commonwealth of Independent States. Soviet Union/U.S.S.R.. 3: In 1982 this communications giant agreed to divest itself of its Baby Bells. AT and T. 4: In 1938 2 Germans became the first to split this, producing barium and krypton from uranium. an atom. 5: Ancient supercontinent that many believe broke up, creating Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Pangaea. Round 3. Category: Gorilla My Dreams 1: The first gorilla born in captivity was Colo, who debuted in 1956 in this Ohio capital. Columbus. 2: Gorillas belong to this order of mammals which also includes monkeys, lemurs and man. Primates. 3: There are 3 types of gorillas: eastern lowland, western lowland and this one that lives at altitudes up to 13,000 feet. Mountain gorilla. 4: This zoologist founded the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda where she studied gorillas for 18 years. Dian Fossey. 5: This fully adult male with a colorful name may weigh twice as much as the adult females in his group. Silverback. Round 4. Category: Actors Onstage 1: In 1980 Jane Seymour played Mozart's wife on Broadway in this play. Amadeus. 2: In 1977 Anne Bancroft returned to Broadway to play this Mideast leader. Golda Meir. 3: Raquel Welch made her Broadway debut in this musical, replacing Lauren Bacall. Woman of the Year. 4: Jack Klugman sang with Ethel Merman in this musical, but he kept his clothes on. Gypsy. 5: Before "Roots" Levar Burton's only sizable role was as Ali Hakim in this musical at USC. Oklahoma!. Round 5. Category: Car Names 1: This wild horse is also called a cayuse or a bronco. a Mustang. 2: Quicksilver. Mercury. 3: An agreement. an Accord. 4: English seaport from which the Mayflower set sail in 1620. the Plymouth. 5: An insect of the order Coleoptera. a Beetle. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!

They're not ladies and they're not birds; they're not even technically bugs! But that's not the most surprising thing about ladybirds/ladybugs and their brilliant variety of names. Tamsin Majerus AKA Dr Ladybird explains why ladybirds are so great; and Johanna Mayer and Elah Feder of the podcast Science Diction, about words and the science stories behind them, consider what's in a (ladybird) name. This episode is one half of a collaboration with Science Diction, so go to their feed to listen to their episode It'll Never Fly, where they set me a quiz about the outlandish and intriguing names given to fruitfly genes. There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/ladybird. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin's own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he's @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram.  Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get discounted tickets to the upcoming Allusionist live show on 4 September 2021, plus the story of my all too brief spell of having a loveliness of pet ladybirds. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: • Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedies from around the world. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using my promo code allusionist. (Be sure to type that code in lower case.)  • Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet - and super-smooth undies and T-shirts too. Get 20 percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionist. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a good-looking, good-acting website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.  Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Adam Brunke is a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes. He talks to me about his paper published in the June 3 issue of the ZooKeys in which he and his coauthors describe four new species of aleocharine staphylinid rove beetles! We discuss what a rove beetle is, the hyper diversity of rove beetles, the amazing diversity of habitats in which they are found, synonymies in taxonomy, elementary school students finding new species at school, explaining to police about midnight beetle collecting, and getting lost on mountains! The title of the paper is “Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae).” The paper is currently Open Access and available here: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/64460/ To learn more About Dr. Adam Brunke, follow him on Twitter, @aj_brunke, or visit his website: https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/profile/dr-adam-j-brunke Be sure to follow New Species on Twitter (@PodcastSpecies), like the podcast page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NewSpeciesPodcast), and music in this podcast is "No More (Instrumental)," by HaTom (https://fanlink.to/HaTom). If you would like to support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/NewSpeciesPodcast

Learn about a newly discovered ladybird from the Shirkuh mountain range in Iran, only confirmed as a new species in 2020.  Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of a ladybird's genitalia.  Listen to the UK Wildlife Podcast's latest episode here: http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/ep50-9-wildlife-podcasters-in-1-podcast/  Out for a walk podcast: https://www.outforawalk.uk/ or @outforawalkpod Massive thank you to Mehdi Zare Khormizi for all the help he gave me on this episode. You can follow him on @ladybugs.ir.  Picture by Alexander Slutsky:  http://www.alsphotopage.com/gallery/index/id/15304 You can view more of his pictures here: http://www.alsphotopage.com/gallery/index/id/6312/list/latestcom  Sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirkuh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazd_Province https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/46390/ - Oenopia shirkuhensis sp. nov. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) from Iran mimicking Adalia bipunctata.  https://researchoutreach.org/articles/scientists-join-dots-between-lady-beetles-iran/  https://bioone.org/journals/the-coleopterists-bulletin/volume-74/issue-1/0010-065X-74.1.161/Potential-M%c3%bcllerian-Mimicry-between-Adalia-bipunctata-Linnaeus-and-Oenopia-conglobata/10.1649/0010-065X-74.1.161.short#:~:text=Zakharov%20and%20Shaikevich%20provided%20molecular%20genetic%20evidence%20that,form%20fasciatopunctata%20occurs%20in%20Kazakhstan%2C%20Siberia%2C%20and%20Mongolia. - Unusual two-spots in the orchards.  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mehdi-Zare-Khormizi - Mehdi's research page.    Buy me a coffee at Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/hwabpodcast Follow me on twitter @hwabpodcast or instagram at @365.ladybird  Like my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenwingsandbloodlust Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wings-and-bloodlust/id1476595771  Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2hpZGRlbndpbmdzYW5kYmxvb2RsdXN0L2ZlZWQueG1s?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwjY2JrD6eDwAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en-GB  Music by Debra Torrance  

Death and rot! In this episode, we chat with Ash Whiffin, Assistant Curator of Entomology at National Museums Scotland about carrion beetles. Morbid insect or vital and valued decomposer? Both? We talk about the lives of carrion beetles, the animals they associate with, and the crimefighting role they play in forensic entomology. We also discuss Ash's new book 'The Histeridae, Sphaeritidae and Silphidae of Britain and Ireland' and consider how the field of entomology can be made more diverse and more inclusive. 

In the United States, we have forty-seven species of bats with 14 found in South Carolina. Most US bats and all of our bats are insectivorous with spiders thrown in, too. As such, they are hugely beneficial. Agriculture is the driving force in South Carolina’s economy, and the estimate is that insect suppression from bats is worth one hundred fifteen million dollars a year just in our small state. Maybe you’re not a farmer – how about that bats, especially the little brown bat, use mosquitoes as a major part of their diet, including many that carry West Nile Virus. Bigger bats eat bigger insects with the largest numbers including Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies and their super destructive larvae; Diptera – the true flies which includes mosquitoes, Coleoptera – those crunchy beetles, and the bees, wasps and ants in the order Hymenoptera. Their full stomachs translate into money in the bank for farmers.

In the United States, we have forty-seven species of bats with 14 found in South Carolina. Most US bats and all of our bats are insectivorous with spiders thrown in, too. As such, they are hugely beneficial. Agriculture is the driving force in South Carolina’s economy, and the estimate is that insect suppression from bats is worth one hundred fifteen million dollars a year just in our small state. Maybe you’re not a farmer – how about that bats, especially the little brown bat, use mosquitoes as a major part of their diet, including many that carry West Nile Virus. Bigger bats eat bigger insects with the largest numbers including Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies and their super destructive larvae; Diptera – the true flies which includes mosquitoes, Coleoptera – those crunchy beetles, and the bees, wasps and ants in the order Hymenoptera. Their full stomachs translate into money in the bank for farmers.

Click to listen to episode (3:58)Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.)Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 6-5-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of June 8, 2020. SOUND – ~5 sec – Gray Treefrog This week, we have a trilling episode.  That is, we feature the different trilling calls of two frog species that are indistinguishable to the naked eye.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds to the two species’ male breeding calls, and see if you know these two kinds of frogs.  And here’s a hint: think of tall woody plants and then the color of a rainy sky. SOUNDS - ~19 sec If you guessed treefrogs, you’re on the right track.  And if knew that the first call was the Gray Treefrog and the second was Cope’s Gray Treefrog, you’re a frog-call phenom!  The two frog species look identical, but they don’t interbreed and they differ in the number of chromosomes in their cells.  In Virginia they have somewhat different ranges, with the Gray Treefrog typically found in about the middle half of the Commonwealth and Cope’s Gray Treefrog primarily found in the Coastal Plain and the far southwest.  Those male breeding calls you heard are the usual way of distinguishing the two species.As their name implies, these amphibians live mostly in trees or shrubs, except during their spring and summer breeding season when they move to shallow, standing waters to mate.  Both species are relatively small, from about one to three inches long; both feed on various insects and other invertebrates; and both are colored gray, green, brown, or white, except for orange or yellow marks on their hind legs. Thanks to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and to Lang Elliott’s NatureSound Studio for permission to use the Cope’s Gray Treefrog sounds, from the 2008 CD, “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads.” We close this week with an extra sound, one that doesn’t have anything to do with frogs or even particularly with water, but results from a natural event occurring in southwestern Virginia this late spring that’s too unusual not to mention, and too loud not to notice.  That’s the 2020 emergence of Brood IX of the 17-year periodical cicada, bringing with it a chorus of mating calls by the male insects.  Have a listen for about 10 seconds to that sound, recorded on a mountain trail near Blacksburg on June 4. SOUND - ~11 sec SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Cope’s Gray Treefrog sounds in this episode were from “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads” CD, copyright 2008 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and Lang Elliott/NatureSound Studio, used with permission.  For more information on this CD, contact VDGIF online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/; by mail to P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778; by phone to (804) 367-1000 (VTDD); or by e-mail to dgifweb@dgif.virginia.gov. Lang Elliott’s work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. The Gray Treefrog sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio at a seasonal pond in Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., on July 8, 2016, about 9 p.m.  The sounds in the background are the “peep” of Spring Peepers and the “thunk” of Green Frogs. The periodical cicada sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio on Brush Mountain just north of Blacksburg, Virginia, on June 4, 2020, about 12 noon.Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES Gray Treefrog in a pond at a residence in Blacksburg, Va., April 30, 2007.Cope’s Gray Treefrog, photographed in Chesapeake, Virginia, July 8, 2019.  Photo by David Weisenbeck, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28498566 (as of 6-8-20) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.Virginia range maps for the Gray Treefrog (upper) and Cope’s Gray Treefrog (lower). Maps taken from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor.  The Gray Treefrog map is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Occurrence&bova=020007&version=18418; the Cope’s Gray Treefrog map is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Occurrence&bova=020006&version=18418.Periodical cicada, photographed in Patrick County, Va., June 7, 2020.  Photo by Kathy Richardson, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48868419 (as of 6-8-20) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT GRAY TREEFROG AND COPE’S GRAY TREEFROG The scientific name of Gray Treefrog is Hyla versicolor. The scientific name of Cope’s Gray Treefrog in Hyla chrysoscelis. The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020007&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18418 for the Gray Treefrog and at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020006&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18418 for Cope’s Gray Treefrog. Gray Treefrog Physical Appearance “Usually gray but coloration ranges from gray to whitish to brown to green, dependent upon environment and activities.  There is a whitish mark beneath the eyes and a bright orange or yellow on the concealed surfaces of the hind legs.  This species ranges in length from 32 to 62 mm (1.25-2.5 in).” Reproduction “Males call between March and August.  The call of this species is a slower trill than that of Cope’s Gray Treefrog, 25 trills per second.  Breeding generally occurs from March to June.  The female lays clumps of 10 to 40 eggs per group on the surface of shallow ditches, puddles, and ponds.   Females may lay more than one clutch in a season…. Eggs typically hatch in 4 to 5 days, and metamorphosis occurs in 45 to 64 days.” Behavior “This species is not often seen on the ground or near the water's edge except during the breeding season.  It tends to forage while in small trees or shrubs near to or in standing water.  This species is an opportunistic feeder focusing primarily on larval Lepicoptera [butteflies and moths], Coleoptera [beetles], and other arthropods.” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations “This species is typically associated with the following forest types: black willow, sweet gum-willow oak, white oak-red oak-black oak and mixed pine-hardwood.  They are frequently found in recently disturbed areas with shrub and herbaceous cover.” Cope’s Gray Treefrog Physical Appearance “This species is identical to [Gray Treefrog] in appearance but they do not interbreed.  The two gray treefrog species can be distinguished genetically and by breeding call…. The male mating call of Cope’s Gray Treefrog is shorter, harsher and more forceful than [Gray Treefrog].  It is a faster call averaging 45 trills/second.  This species is generally slightly smaller than [Gray Treefrog]. Reproduction “This species breeds between May and August and is usually not found outside of this period. ..Females lay scattered clumps of 10 to 40 eggs on the surfaces of shallow ditches and small ponds.  These eggs hatch in 4 or 5 days.  Metamorphosis occurs in 45 to 64 days…. This species may have two clutches per season.” Behavior “This species is more arboreal and is more tolerant of low humidity than [Gray Treefrog.].  Its diet consists of insects which are foraged from trees, shrubs, and off the ground preferably near water.  This species is an opportunistic feeder.  Typical prey items include larval Lepidoptera [butterflies and moths], Coleoptera [beetles], and other arthropods.” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations “This species is typically associated with small ponds, ditches, beaver ponds, or other standing water.  It is frequently found in areas that have been recently disturbed but contain shrubs, herbaceous vegetation, and/or vines.” SOURCES Used for Audio Eric Day et al., “Periodical Cicada,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 444-276 (ENTO-105NP), February 25, 2015, online at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/444/444-276/444-276.html. John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toad of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, 2011.  [This is the source used for the description included in the audio/transcript of the two frog species' ranges.] Lang Elliott, The Calls of Frogs and Toads, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, Penn., 2004.Bernard S. Martof et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980. Dan Mozgai, “Cicada Mania,” online at https://www.cicadamania.com/.  Information on periodical cicada Brood IX and its emergence in 2020 is online at https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/category/broods/brood-ix/. James Mason, “What’s that noise? The 17-year cicadas are back,” Virginia Tech Daily, May 2020, online at https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/05/CALS-periodical_cicada_2020.html. Robert Powell et al., Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston and New York, 2016. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor.The Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020007&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18418.The Cope’s Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020006&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18418. Virginia Herpetological Society, online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/index.html.  Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles.The Gray Treefrog entry is online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/gray-treefrog/gray_treefrog.php.The Cope’s Gray Treefrog entry is online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/copes-gray-treefrog/copes_gray_treefrog.php.Information on all frogs and toads in Virginia is online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm.The “Frog Calling Schedule” is online (as a PDF) at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/_phenology/va-frog-and-toad-phenology.pdf. For More Information about Frogs and Other Amphibians AmphibiaWeb, “Order Anura—Frogs and Toads Species List,” online at https://amphibiaweb.org/lists/alpha/A-Ate-Anura.shtml.FrogWatch USA, online at https://www.aza.org/frogwatch.  According to this Web site, this is the American Zoological Association (AZA)'s citizen science program and “encourages volunteers to collect and contribute information about the breeding calls of frogs and toads to a national dataset that is publicly available online.”Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Virginia is for Frogs” Web site, online at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/.For More Information about Periodical Cicadas Ralph Berrier (text) and Stephanie Klein-Davis (photos), Watch Now: The 17-year cicadas emerge across Southwest Virginia, Roanoke Times, 6/8/20. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Amphibians” subject category. Following are links to other episodes on featuring sounds of the Gray Treefrog. Episode 371, 6-5-17 – Herp Blitz by Virginia Herpetological Society (sounds of Bullfrog, Gray Treefrog, Northern Cricket Frog, Fowler's Toad, and Green Frog). Episode 408, 2-19-18 – Frog and Toad Medley (sounds of American Toad, Bullfrog, Carpenter Frog, Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Mountain Chorus Frog, Northern Cricket Frog, Pickerel Frog, Spring Peeper, and Wood Frog). Episode 427, 7-2-18 – a July 4th “debate.” Episode 431, 7-30-18 – on the Tazewell County, Va., community of Frog Level (sounds of Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, and Spring Peeper). Episode 524, 5-11-20 – a sampler of animal sounds. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources of information, or other materials in the Show Notes. 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme K.7 – basic needs and processes of plants and animals. 1.5 – animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics. 2.4 – life cycles. 3.4 – behavioral and physiological adaptations. Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats. 3.5 – food webs. 3.6 – ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources. 5.5 – cell structures and functions, organism classification, and organism traits. Life Science Course LS.4 – organisms’ classification based on features. LS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships. LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments. Biology Course BIO.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts. BIO.6 – bases for modern classification systems, including structures, biochemistry, and developmental stages. BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels. Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade. Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten. Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade. Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade. Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school. Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school. Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for elementary school through high school.

Click to listen to episode (4:39)Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-15-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIOFrom the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of May 18, 2020. MUSIC – ~4 sec – instrumental This week, we drop in on a musically-enhanced, water-insect competition.  The participants have been challenged to figure out the most species-rich group of insects on the planet, and then come up with the distinguishing words for seven aquatic versions of that group.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds to this entomological exercise, and see if you know the name for that overall group of insects.  And here’s a hint: the name sounds like a revolutionary, four-member rock band. VOICES and MUSIC - ~15 sec – “Crawling. Long-toed. Predaceous diving. Riffle. Water penny. Water scavenger. Whirligig.” If you guessed beetles, you’re right!  You heard part of “Beetle Ballet,” by Torrin Hallett, underlying the descriptive names of seven water beetle families.  Scientists categorize beetles into a taxonomic group called an order, and beetles are the most diverse order of animals, with a current estimate of about 390,000 species worldwide.  Perhaps as many as 20,000 of those species are water beetles.  The seven kinds of water beetles you heard, out of about 20 North American families, are among the most commonly found on this continent, with the predaceous diving beetle family and the water scavenger beetle family having the largest number of species.As a group, water beetles occupy all kinds and sizes of aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats, such as ponds, lakes, and other still waters; streams and rivers; various kinds of wetlands; temporary habitats like puddles; and a variety of moist areas on coastal shorelines.  Beetles that inhabit water typically do so both as adults and in their immature, larval stage; but some, like Water Pennies, are terrestrial as adults, and Long-toed Water Beetles have terrestrial larvae.  All beetle adults have two pairs of wings, with the forewings forming a hardened sheath of the membranous hind wings, and many water beetles are able to hold under those forewings a bubble of air that allows them to breathe while submerged.  Feeding habits among the thousands of water beetle species vary widely, both in what they eat and in how they acquire their food. Water beetles have many remarkable adaptations and biological variations.  Here’s one example: Whirligig beetles, which can be seen swimming in circles on the surface of ponds, lakes, and still water on stream margins, have eyes divided into an upper and lower half; the upper half can see above the water surface, while the lower half can see below. Thanks to several Blacksburg, Va., friends for lending their voices to this episode.  Thanks also to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music especially for Virginia Water Radio, and we close with the last 20 seconds of “Beetle Ballet.” MUSIC - ~ 22 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.   For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Beetle Ballet” is copyright 2020 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission.  Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio; as of 2020, he is a graduate student in Horn Performance at Manhattan School of Music in New York.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks very much to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio. To hear the complete piece (39 seconds), please click here. The water beetle family names call-outs were recorded by several Blacksburg, Va., residents in May 2020. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode. More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Whirligig beetles in the New River in Giles County, Va., May 17, 2020.A species of predaceous diving beetle, Virginia Beach, Va., April 10, 2019.  Photo by Laura Bankey, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/22308991 (as of 5-18-20) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribtution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT WATER BEETLE FAMILIES As noted in the audio, scientists classify beetles scientific classification level called an order.  The scientific names for the beetles order is Coleoptera.  Other orders of familiar insects include Diptera, the order of “true flies”; Hymenoptera, the order of ants, bees, and wasps; and Lepidoptera, the order of butterflies and moths.  (For one list of all insect orders, see Iowa State University’s BugGuide, online at https://bugguide.net/node/view/222292.) Families are groups within orders.  Following is some information on the beetles families that include water beetles, that is, beetles that live in or closely associated with aquatic habitats. J. Reese Voshell, in A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America (McDonald and Woodward, Blacksburg, Va., 2002; (pages 359-368), lists the following seven beetle families as “common in freshwater habitats” in North America.  The families are listed in alphabetical order by common name, with the scientific names for the family in parenthesis. Crawling Water Beetle (Haplidae) Long-toed Water Beetles (Dryopidae) Predaceous Diving Beetles (Dytiscidae) Riffle Beetles (Elmidae) Water Pennies (Psephenidae) Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) Whirligig Beetles (Gyrinidae) R. W. Merritt and K. W. Cummins, in An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, 2nd Edition (Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Ia., 1984; (pages 427-437), list the following 21 beetle families as having aquatic or semi-aquatic species in North America (connected either to fresh waters, estuaries, or marine waters).  The families are listed in alphabetical order by scientific name, followed by the family’s common name. Amphizoidae – Trout-stream Beetles Carabidae – Predaceous Ground Beetles Chrysomelidae – Leaf Beetles Curculionidae – Weevils Dryopidae – Long-toed Water Beetles Dytiscidae – Predaceous Diving Beetles Elmidae – Riffle Beetles Gyrinidae – Whirligig Beetles Haliplidae – Crawling Water Beetles Hydraenidae – Minute Moss beetles Hydrophilidae – Water Scavenger Beetles Hydroscaphidae – Skiff Beetles Limnichidae – Marsh-loving Beetles Melyridae – Soft-winged Flower Beetles Noteridae – Burrowing Water Beetles Psephenidae – Water Pennies Ptilodactylidae – Toed-winged Beetles Salpingidae (= Eurystethidae) – Narrow-waisted Bark Beetles Scirtidae (= Helodidae) – Marsh Beetles Sphaeriidae – Minute Bog Beetles Staphylinidae – Rove Beetles SOURCES Used for Audio Iowa State University Department of Entomology, “Bug Guide/Order Coleoptera - Beetles,” online at https://bugguide.net/node/view/60.  This is the source used for the total number of beetle species worldwide. R. W. Merritt and K. W. Cummins, An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, Second Edition, Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Ia., 1984. George K. Reid, Pond Life, Golden Press, New York, N.Y., 1967. Andrew Edward Z. Short, “Systematics of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera): current state and future directions,” Systematic Entomology, Vol. 43/No. 1, January 2018, accessed online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/syen.12270.  This is the source used for the total number of water beetle species worldwide. J. Reese Voshell, A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, McDonald and Woodward, Blacksburg, Va., 2002. For More Information about Beetles and Other Insects in Virginia and Elsewhere University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org. Beetle species are listed at https://animaldiversity.org/search/?q=beetle&feature=INFORMATION. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor. Entries for beetles are available at this link.Many field guides to insects are available from book stores or other supplies.RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Insects” subject category. Following are links to other episodes with information related to beetles. Episode 81, 9-26-11, and Episode 363, 4-10-17 – on stream assessment using aquatic insects and other macroinvertebrates. Episode P336, 10-3-16 – on streamside insects. Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin Hallett for Virginia Water Radio, with links to episodes featuring the music. “Corona Cue” – used in Episode 517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. “Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode 440, 10-1-18, on E-bird. “Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year’s Water” – used in Episode 349, 1-2-17, on the New Year. “Rain Refrain” – used most recently in Episode 455, 1-14-19, on record Virginia precipitation in 2019. “Spider Strike” – used in Episode 523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders. “Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 489, 9-9-19, on storm surge. “Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources of information, or other materials in the Show Notes. 2013 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme 1.5 – animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics. 2.4 – life cycles. 3.4 – behavioral and physiological adaptations. Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats. 3.5 – food webs. 3.6 – ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources. 5.5 – cell structures and functions, organism classification, and organism traits. Life Science Course LS.4 – organisms’ classification based on features. LS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships. LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments. Biology Course BIO.6 – bases for modern classification systems, including structures, biochemistry, and developmental stages. BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels.Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade. Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten. Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade. Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade. Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school. Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school. Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for elementary school through high school.

Join Andy and Justin this week as they prepare their buds for something a little more on the wild side. Their post-apocalyptic obsession is put to the test to try and find more readily available proteins: Bugs and Frogs!Thank you for being in the SNACK PACK! We appreciate you joining us this week in catching up. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Reddit

Beautiful, diverse, and delicious, today we talk about beetles and all their amazing tricks. Boiling clouds of poison, mind control, and even the ability to make a corpse into a house. Is there anything beetles can't do? Videos: Rhino Beetle Larvae Sources: https://www.etymonline.com/word/beetle http://www.knowyourinsects.org/Coleoptera.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endopterygota http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/09/21/beetle-larva-lures-and-kills-frogs-while-the-adult-hunts-and-paralyses-them/#.WxMNe0gvyiM https://askabiologist.asu.edu/plosable/spies-among-ants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_beetle https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/cyborg-remote-control-beetle-nanyang-a6960301.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-manage-to-control-flight-of-cyborg-beetles-for-the-first-time-10111692.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burying_beetle https://www.newscientist.com/article/2134134-fungus-creates-zombie-beetles-that-crave-flowers-before-death/ https://onekindplanet.org/top-10/top-10-list-of-the-worlds-strongest-animals/ https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2013/01/17/flesh-eating-beetles-explained/ https://soranews24.com/2016/11/10/w-t-f-japan-top-5-japanese-pet-kabutomushi-beetles-%E3%80%90weird-top-five%E3%80%91/ https://snapthirty.com/2016/04/12/a-look-into-the-strange-world-of-japanese-beetle-fighting/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynastinae

Insetos são delatores muito efetivos quando se trava de um crime, através deles é possível obter diversas informações. Essa semana falamos sobre a entomologia forense, e suas mais diversas aplicações. Participantes: Matheus Lewi (@drkLewi), Letícia Fainé, Luiz Fontes, Verônica Fialho e Agnes Pozenato. Edição de Alexandre Mello. Aconselhamos o uso de fones de ouvido para escutar os programas.   Rock 1 - Dance of Death- Iron Maiden. Rock 2- Soil of the Corpse- Korpiklaani. Rock 3- The Flesh and the Power it Holds- Death. Ah, você não gosta das músicas? É uma pena, mas não tem problema! Agora você pode ouvir a versão sem músicas! Esse é o nosso Lado B! Assine o Lado B para sempre ter acesso ao episódio editado sem as músicas! Material de apoio: SANTOS, W.E. 2014. Papel dos besouros (Insecta, Coleoptera) na Entomologia Forense. Revista Brasileira de Criminalística 3:36-40. OLIVEIRA-COSTA, J. 2011. Entomologia Forense: Quando os insetos são vestígios. 3rd ed., Editora Millenium, São Paulo.     Gostou do episódio? Não gostou do episódio? Encontrou alguma falha gritante (ou pequena que seja)? Envie seu comentário! Pode ser aqui mesmo no site ou pelo email rock@rockcomciencia.com.br. Ou ainda pelo Twitter ou Facebook!

In Pieces by Garth Brooks. Today’s Garth Brooks album: In Pieces. Nathan and Cameron discuss their cowboy-baby fetishes, and Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney show up to lend some wisdom. Be sure to check out “Beyond the Box Set,” which is a real podcast! And it’s really good. Dammit. Now we feel worse for accidentally stealing their name. Learnin’ Links: The order Coleoptera, which includes beetles Liverpool English (AKA Scouse) The shirt Garth is wearing on the cover Richard Nixon’s dog, Checkers For those who don’t stand outside the fire The dogwhistle term “welfare queen“ Reel Andalusian cadence  If you want to buy In Pieces, you can get it here and support us: http://amzn.to/2gw4Y6w

Beulah Garner, Senior Curator of Coleoptera at the Natural History Museum joins us to share her love for beetles, experiences from field work, and how women in the natural sciences are still faced with inappropriate behaviours and sexist attitudes directed at them.   Show notes at http://breakingbio.com

The attelabid genus Euops SCHOENHERR is demonstrated to constitute a monophyletic group based on the following synapomorphies: 1) mycetangia of the female for storage of fungus spores consisting of three different reservoirs and associated setose structures, 2) a patch of modified setae of the female venter, usually associated with exocrinous glands, 3) enlarged eyes. Systematics, evolutionary history and biology of Curculionoidea and Attelabidae are summarized. The "Papuan region" is treated herein as comprising the provinces of Maluku and Irian Jaya of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. A summary of the natural history of this region is given. Approximately two years were spent in the field to supplement the sparse material available from museum collections for this study. Selected, monophyletic species groups of Euops are treated in a monographic way: the spinosus-group (ten species described as new), the pygmaeus-group (one species redescribed, 13 species described as new), the quadrifasciculatus-group (four species redescribed, six species described as new), the simulans-group (three species redescribed, 19 species described as new), and the subgenus Neosynaptops (two species redescribed, seven species described as new). These monographs are attached to the present summary as appendices. New standards are proposed for taxonomic descriptions of Euops species: the transfer apparatus of the male genitalia proved to be of critical importance for the diagnosis of species. Other characters of male and female genitalia, of the mouthparts, the metanotum, and the proventriculus are useful in phylogenetic reconstruction and in the diagnosis of species groups. These and other characters are described for the first time. Methods for their appropriate preparation and examination by SEM and light microscopy are proposed. The literature published on Euops is reviewed and a bibliography is given. At the commencement of this study (1998), 134 species and 10 subspecies of Euops were recognized as valid worldwide. A synopsis of Papuan Euops is given. Before the commencement of this study 24 valid species of Papuan Euops, based on inadequate descriptions, were known to science. These are redescribed to meet the new standards. Where necessary, lectotypes are designated. One species (E. picipes VOSS) is placed into synonymy. One subspecific name (Euops femoralis f. ruficornis Voss) is elevated to species level. 52 species are added by formal descriptions. At present (2002), 76 described species are reported for the Papuan region, constituting 40 % of the world fauna (189 described species). Another 108 undescribed species from the Papuan region are listed. These could not be described herein but they will be so in later publications. Thus, at present 184 Euops species are known from the Papuan region constituting 58 % of the world fauna (320 ascertained species). Cladistic analyses are performed for each of the monographed species groups. An overall analysis is done using selected species. Five other genera of Attelabidae were included as outgroup representatives. The monophyly of the recognized species groups of Euops was confirmed except for the simulans-group which is difficult to define at its base. A clade comprising Apoderus, Lamprolabus and Euscelophilus is supported mainly by derived characters of the prementum, plesiomorphic in Attelabus and in Euops. It is predicted that the rank of the "Apoderinae" will have to be downgraded after a phylogenetic analysis of the Attelabidae. The worldwide distribution of Euops is a paleotropical one. This could reflect an ancient Gondwanic pattern or a more recent one through rapid dispersal. Evidence for and against each hypothesis is discussed. Within the Papuan region most species groups of Euops are strictly confined to the area of the Sahul shelf. Off-shore islands, such as Maluku or the Solomons, have a depauperate fauna. The areas of endemism observed are usually not compatible with geological terrains. Rapid dispersal overland is postulated. The Philippines and Sulawesi adjoining to the West have a speciose but uniform fauna, belonging exclusively to the subgenus Suniops. The fauna of Maluku consists of equal parts of Suniops species arrived from the west and of other species of Papuan Euops groups from the east. There is little overlap between the Papuan fauna of Euops and a moderately rich Australian one. The origins of the highly secluded Papuan fauna of Euops remain obscure. Although Euops occupies an altitudinal range from sea level to 3535 m, there is a maximum of diversity between 700 m and 800 m altitude. Diversity remains at a high level to an altitude of 1600 m or further, with an increase in the endemism of species. This pattern is different from groups such as birds and ants, whose diversity decreases evenly along an altitudinal gradient. It is suggested that this fact should be considered in priority assessments for conservation measures. A table of the association with host plants is given. Species of the pygmaeus-group are reported to feed exclusively on the fresh leaf flush of Nothofagus. Species of its presumed adelphotaxon, the quadrifasciculatus-group, are recorded from Myrtaceae. Such a pattern is unusual among phytophagous insects and different scenarios for a host switch are discussed. Preliminary data on the association with fungi are provided. Fungi isolated from the mycetangia of different Euops species exhibit different mycological characters (e.g. coloration) and presumably belong to different species. They all belong to the genus Penicillium. It was found that spores obtained from the mycetangia can be stored for extended periods in sterilized water. Future studies should make use of this fact to export fungus samples and to cultivate them under more favourable laboratory conditions than usually available in tropical countries. A trend curve of the discovery of Euops species in the Papuan region is discussed. It reveals that the saturation phase is not yet reached. It is estimated that the area studied harbours at least 300 species of Euops, making it the most diverse region for this genus in the world.