insects

In many natural history museums, bee specimens are accompanied by little slips of paper that have details about each specimen, like the species name, who found it, where and when. It’s a treasure trove of data but it needs to be digitized.

Researchers from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory recently found that some winged insects native to the Mountain West – and crucial to maintaining ecosystem balance – are on the decline.

Mormon cricket season has arrived, but at a much higher density than in previous years. Over the past two months, the insects have converged on parts of Natrona and Converse counties, including the town of Edgerton.

Bees, butterflies and other insects are not considered wildlife in many Western states, including some in the Mountain West. That can affect bugs – and humans.

Dryland wheat farming on Colorado’s Eastern Plains has never been easy. But there’s a new and growing challenge. A native bug that has lived on the plains for at least 150 years has now become a scourge of the wheat fields.

The Western Glacier Stonefly is Wyoming's only insect on the Endangered Species list.

APHIS monitors grasshoppers in 17 western states, and when the agency deems there’s an outbreak - or is asked to intervene by stakeholders like the US Forest Service or adjacent land owners - it can apply a pesticide to kill the insects.

Audubon Rockies hosts an annual BioBlitz somewhere in Wyoming. The event brings together scientists, naturalists and the general public to catalog as many species of insects, animals and plants in a particular area. Wyoming Public Radio's Catherine Wheeler brings us this postcard.

We often hear about efforts to support and conserve rare species, like the spotted owl or Joshua trees. But new findings argue that some very ordinary plants and animals deserve our attention, too.

Wide open spaces, like much of Wyoming, are known to be strongholds for pollinators like butterflies. They often contain critical habitat and food…