🐛🐛🐛 Our Bug Counts are Being Watched (and Mentioned) by Caterpillars Count!

[EwA]

Caterpillars Count (which we use for our arthropod count survey protocol and database) is looking at what we are looking at!

They mention 2 of their partners in their June newsletter: a long time partner (6 years of data) and us. 

Meaning that they are also using us as a reference site. It's great, right!? 

Of course it is! Although the reason why is concerning: they're checking where the caterpillars are in 2020...

It's understandable that they would look at our results this year as we were their top site nationally in finding caterpillars last year. 

They're noticing that we're having a hard time seeing caterpillars this year (as their other partner does too)... 

From Caterpillars Count (June newsletter)

" Where are the caterpillars in 2020?

Given the importance of caterpillars for forest birds, especially during the months of June and July when there are so many hungry nestlings to feed, it's been a bit alarming to see fewer than expected caterpillars at some of our sites this year. The North Carolina Botanical Garden is our flagship site where we are in our sixth year of surveys, and we have never found fewer caterpillars. A comparison to what we've seen this year compared to 2019 is shown in the graph below. Similarly, at one of the Earthwise Aware sites in Boston, MA there have been many fewer caterpillars observed compared to the previous year. At season's end we will see whether these are anomalies at just a few locations around the country, or something more pervasive."