As a science-based organization, the Xerces Society produces dozens of publications annually, all of which employ the best available research to guide effective conservation efforts. Our publications range from guidelines for land managers, to brochures offering overviews of key concepts related to invertebrate conservation, from books about supporting pollinators in farmland, to region-specific plant lists. We hope that whatever you are seeking—whether it's guidance on making a home or community garden pollinator-friendly, advice on developing a local pesticide reduction strategy, or detailed information on restoring habitat—you will find it here!
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The Xerces Society joined a group of environmental and health organizations to petition the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to regulate the planting of crop seeds coated with systemic insecticides. California's pesticide regulatory system has a loophole that allows for unchecked use of insecticide-coated seed on farms throughout the state. Neonicotinoid insecticides are commonly used as seed coatings, resulting in significant contamination of California's waterways and ecosystems as they move off-field.
Scouting & Field History Reports for Early Season Corn and Soybean IPM
A chemical control strategy like neonicotinoid seed treatments should only be considered when there is a potential for harm demonstrated by scouting and field history. This fact sheet evaluates use of insecticidal seed treatments for seven corn and soybean pests and offers guidance on:(a) which corn and soybean pests neonicotinoid seed treatments may be used for, (b) when scouting should occur to inform future decisions on use of neonicotinoid seed treatments, and (c) how to scout for these early season pests.
Donor Newsletter of the Xerces Society
Our twice-yearly newsletter for members, which highlights key Xerces Society projects and current conservation efforts. Want to receive this? Please see our donation & membership page.
On August 18, 2020, the Xerces Society filed a petition to list the western ridged mussel as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The western ridged mussel has been lost from 43% of its historic range. In addition, sudden die offs of western ridged mussels have been observed in Oregon and Washington.
How Dicamba Herbicides are Harming Cultivated and Wild Landscapes
More than five million acres of crops, an area roughly the size of New Jersey, have been injured by the herbicide dicamba since the U.S. EPA conditionally registered three new formulations for in-crop applications in dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton in 2016. Damage from this highly mobile herbicide does not stop at the field edge: dicamba drift places tens of millions of acres of wild and ornamental plants—and the wildlife these plants support—at risk.
Native thistles are wildflowers within the genus Cirsium. They occur in a broad range of habitats—pastures, grasslands, prairie remnants, roadsides, idle fields, open woodlands, savannas and wetlands—where they play a vital role in ecosystems. This brochure describes native and non-native thistles and provides guidance on recognizing the different species and their distinct features.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) worked with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to develop this report, which synthesizes the scientific literature and existing best management practices for monarch butterflies along with input from a survey of monarch experts and a survey of EPRI members. Monarch experts were surveyed to identify the relative benefit of specific conservation actions for monarchs as well as to provide opinions on the opportunities for power companies to engage in monarch conservation.
For Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects
The availability of nesting and overwintering habitat is one of the most important factors influencing populations of native bees and other beneficial insects. This guide focuses on a variety of natural nesting habitat features that can be readily incorporated into most landscapes to benefit pollinators and beneficial insects.
Essays on Invertebrate Conservation
The importance of tackling climate as part of an invertebrate-conservation agenda is underscored by modeling studies that show the impact of climate change on the small creatures that sustain us. Depending on the amount of warming, as much as 49 percent of invertebrates may disappear from half of their current ranges.
La luz artificial nocturna, LANA en forma abreviada, es probablemente uno de los principales causantes de la disminución de luciérnagas. La mayoría de las luciérnagas del mundo se comunican entre sí utilizando señales de luz bioluminiscente en forma de destellos, parpadeos o brillos. Estas especies están activas durante el crepúsculo o después de que anochece, de manera que las luces artificiales que se encienden durante estas horas pueden dificultar que estas luciérnagas se vean entre sí.