Insects, Spiders, Centipedes, Millipedes

Western Bumble Bee - Bombus occidentalis

NPS Photo / Sladek

Bugs in the Park

It would be nearly impossible to compile a complete list of arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) for any one area of the world. There are simply too many. Glacier National Park is no exception. Every year scientists discover new species of insects, mites or spiders. Experts say there may be 5 million species worldwide -- most still unidentified. There are many strange and interesting arthropods in the park.

For an education on insect diversity, examine any large rotting log in the west-side ancient forest. Centipedes, millipedes, sowbugs, mites, beetles, spiders—in some logs, 20,000 species—go about their work turning a dead tree into soil. A decomposer's life is dedicated to recycling dead matter into nutrients that will nurture new life.

The prairies to the east of the park are hot in the summer. To escape the heat, millions of army cutworm moths migrate to high, cool alpine areas in the mountains of Glacier Park and roost under the loose rocks of talus slopes. Grizzly bears turn these over and feast on the moths for a few weeks during late summer. Ladybird beetles also congregate in certain alpine areas and grizzlies, always hungry, also know about this natural gathering.

In five areas of the park (at last count), small colonies of 10 to 30 Yellowstone checkerspot butterflies live. They lay their eggs only on black bearberry leaves in sunny, wet spots. The black bearberry is an early-stage successional plant; it grows just after the pioneer species take root following a fire. The combination of dependency on wildfire and utilization of a specific plant for reproduction makes life precarious for checkerspots.

Bumble Bees

Bees are one of Glacier's charasmatic micro-fauna.

The early morning sun looms large. Its warmth begins to breathe new life into the vast meadow stretching into the distance. Droplets of dew begin to dissipate from leaves and petals, and plants of all shapes and sizes come to life. Today’s display? Splashes of yellow, white, purple, and pink… clusters of tall, leafy flowers…and tiny, bright-eyed, delicate ones trying to get noticed.

And in the distance, something else comes to life. The sound is familiar, its resounding hum an integral part of cool mornings in mountain meadows. The mesmerizing note is the unmistakable buzz of a busy pollinator foraging from plant to plant. This particular pollinator, a western bumble bee, seeks out lifegiving pollen to feed her queen and her growing nest.

With its fuzzy, black and yellow body and whitish-haired bottom, the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) is one of roughly 50 native bumble bee species found in North America. Along with their relatives, western bumble bees are key pollinators of many species of wildflowers, wildlife foods (such as huckleberries), and human crops.

This lucky perk occurs due to their ability to vibrate their wings, shaking pollen out of the flower, and storing it in pollen “baskets” located on their hind legs. In the process, extra pollen sticks to the bee and transfers to the next flower. Without these pollinators, many plants would not be able to reproduce. Bumble bees ensure the rich, biodiverse ecosystems people and wildlife need to survive.

Similar to other North American pollinators, these once common bees found across western United States and Canada have declined substantially across their range in recent years. From 1998-2020, researchers documented a 57% decline in the presence of western bumble bees throughout the West. This dramatic decline is attributed to a variety of factors ranging from disease to habitat loss and degradation. A recent 2022 study also linked increasing temperature, drought, and pesticides as threats to western bumble bees.

To further understand the impacts and solutions to declining bumble bee populations, scientists are exploring new methods in collecting data on the absence/presence of bee species. United States Geological Survey (USGS) researchers in Glacier National Park are joining in this effort by using a variety of methods and people to collect data.

With large territories to cover, USGS and other research partners have teamed up with the Xerces Society to train citizen scientists in bumble bee catching and documentation. Volunteers learn how to safely catch, photograph, and release bumble bees with the goal of creating a better understanding of not only where and why certain populations remain healthy but identifying habitat needs to support remaining bumble bee populations. These efforts also indicate which flowers western bumble bees utilize and how those species connect to needs of wildlife and people.

With the help of citizen scientists and continued improvements in data collection, researchers can provide valuable insight to land managers on effective management tools that will support bumble bee populations into the future. How can you help? Plant bee-friendly flowers, avoid using pesticides (especially insecticides), and create and maintain safe places for bumble bee nests such as rock piles, dense vegetation, or brush piles. And the next time you grab a handful of huckleberries, thank the fuzzy bumble bee buzzing by!

 

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Transcript

Do you like huckleberries? You might want to thank a bumble bee!  

 
Bumble bees and huckleberries have a symbiotic relationship. That means they help each other out. 

When bumble bee queens emerge from hibernation, they need nectar to replenish their energy and pollen to start their nests and reproduce. Huckleberry flowers are one of the few early season sources of that much-needed nectar and pollen.  

Huckleberries, in turn, rely on bees. Bumble bees use buzz pollination, or sonification, to transfer pollen from flower to flower, creating delicious and tangy huckleberries. 

Descriptive Transcript

Series of close-up photos of ripe huckleberries on a shrub,  

a bumblebee,  

a huckleberry flower in bloom,  

another bumblebee,  

a bee in a plastic vial,  

two huckleberry flowers,  

green unripe huckleberries,  

a huckleberry plant with a flower and a green berry just forming, and ripe huckleberries with a hand reaching out to pick them.  

Duration:

41.533 seconds

A short video explaining the importance of Glacier's bumble bees.

 

Open Transcript  Open Descriptive Transcript

Transcript

Bumble bees are important pollinators for wildflowers and plants, like huckleberries. And the western bumble bee was once one of the most common species in western North America.  

But this species has become increasingly rare in many places due to rising temperatures, habitat loss, disease, drought and pesticides.  

US Geological Survey Scientists in Glacier National Park are looking at bumble bees to track populations and identify their habitat needs; providing valuable insight on ways to support their populations into the future. Without pollinators there would be a lot less food, like huckleberries, for everyone.  

Descriptive Transcript

Landscape shot of distant mountain cliffs 

Slow motion close-up of a bumblebee on a yellow flower 

A scientist walks through a meadow carrying a white net 

Closeup of a biologist’s hands holding a bumble bee in a plastic vial 

Closeup of a bumblebee on a yellow flower 

Landscape shot of distant cliffs 

Duration:

41.733 seconds

A short video explaining the decline of Glacier National Park's bumble bees.