Bug Note Episode 30: The Bugs of Winter
Colder weather means fewer bugs around, but have you ever wondered where they go? On the season finale of Bug Note, host Daniel Potter chats with Dr. Jason Cryan about the bugs of winter — an episode inspired by two of NHMU’s Youth Teaching Youth interns, Benny and Lupe. Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts or scroll down to watch the extended video conversation.
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Why Are There Fewer Bugs in Winter?
Bugs have different thresholds of temperature tolerance. Some can remain active in extreme heat, others in extreme cold. Some can’t tolerate either extreme. Many insects can’t tolerate the cold of winter, leading to less insect activity.
Extreme temperatures also put pressure on vital resources. In winter, for example, there’s less food to eat, and it requires more energy to survive. This leads to plants and animals (including bugs) developing strategies for surviving during times of resource scarcity.
How Do Bugs Survive the Cold in Winter?
There are many strategies for enduring the harsh temperatures of winter. Some bugs focus on finding shelter — underneath bark, in piles of leaves, or by burrowing into the ground — in order to go into a sort of cold-weather hibernation, called diapause. Other insects simply get out of town, migrating to warmer areas for the season. One well-known example is monarch butterflies, which migrate south as the winter weather approaches. Another tactic is a bit more evolutionarily costly: some species have developed a natural antifreeze-like protein that prevents ice crystals from forming in their hemolymph (the fluid that flows through invertebrates, serving some of the functions that blood serves in vertebrates).
Strategies like these allow bugs to survive across seasons, which is especially helpful in Utah where we experience extreme heat and cold! Check out this episode to learn more about the remarkable bugs of winter and their survival tactics.
Bug Note on YouTube
Check out the extended conversation on YouTube. Be sure to like and subscribe to receive notice of upcoming episodes.
About Bug Note
Bug Note is hosted by Daniel Potter, a science writer who's also worked in the world of public radio for many years, and who loves fresh air and storytime. He's joined by Dr. Jason Cryan, NHMU’s Sarah B. George Executive Director and trained entomologist, and Christy Bills, NHMU's Invertebrate Collections Manager, as well as other bug-loving guests. Video production by Blank Space. The podcast is created in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Utah, with the expertise and support of its scientific, philanthropic, marketing, and education teams. Special thanks to NHMU friend and insect enthusiast Ted Fridirici.
Authors
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By Olivia Barney
Olivia serves as NHMU’s Marketing Copywriter/Coordinator, where she collaborates across departments to craft engaging stories that help bring groundbreaking research projects to life. She might be the Oxford comma’s number one fan.
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By Dan Potter
Daniel Potter is a science writer and audio producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He's reported for Nashville Public Radio and KQED in San Francisco, and has appeared on Science Friday and PBS NewsHour. He's also written for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some of his writing appears in the 2023 book Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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By Jason Cryan, Ph.D.
Areas of Expertise • Museum administration and leadership • Evolutionary biology • Entomology • Plant-feeding insects of the Order Hemiptera • Planthoppers, spittlebugs, treehoppers Background Jason Cryan, Ph.D., serves as the fourth executive director of the Natural History Museum of Utah. With its rich, 50-year history as the most important natural history museum in America’s...
