Collecting Galerucella beetles, or purple loosestrife leaf beetles, was one of the many activities I engaged in during my three week work detail at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge this spring. This work detail allowed me to learn about some of the same issues I face working in Ecological Services, (endangered species, migratory birds, wetlands, environmental contaminants, and invasive plants) but from a different perspective.

Purple loosestrife is one of the many non-native invasive plants the Refuge has been working to control, and it is one of the few plants which currently have an acceptable biological control method. The Galerucella beetles, small orange beetles with black lines across their backs, have been released in different areas across the country as a means of controlling the ecological threat to wetland habitat posed by invading loosestrife. The decision to utilize biological control is not an easy one; there is always the underlying threat of the organism used for control beginning to ?control? native or non-target plants. However, the purple loosestrife program has had vigorous testing for decades, and multiple success stories. For many sites across the country, the threat of loosestrife itself is immediate enough to outweigh any potential unforeseen future threats by the beetles.

Collecting the beetles is only one step in the process of biological control, and I was fortunate enough to gain hands-on experience on the process from the beginning. Before collecting the beetles, I assisted in creating a beetle ?neighborhood? where the beetles could live and create the next generation of beetles. The cornerstone of the Gallerucella neighborhood is an enclosure with rows of potted purple loosestrife plants. I assisted the Refuge biologists in venturing onto the Refuge and collecting loosestrife from areas where little beetle activity existed. Once placed into the enclosures surrounded by a fine mesh screen, these plants were then ready for their new occupants. Hundreds upon hundreds of beetles were soon released into the enclosure, and the beetles began eating, and mating, and eating, and mating.

While the beetles were enjoying their temporary home, GIS habitat maps were used to scope out potential release sites in the Refuge. These sites were areas in the Refuge where either herbicide control of loosestrife needed some beetles to finish the job, or areas where additional beetles were needed in order to make a successful dent in the loosestrife population. With over 9,000 acres in the Refuge complex, the maps helped to pin-point areas with the worst loosestrife problem and saved valuable time. Meanwhile, back at the Gallerucella enclosures, hundreds of beetle eggs lie on loosestrife plants ready to be transplanted to their new homes.

Although my work detail ended before the final stages of the biological control, namely placing the loosestrife plants infested with beetle eggs in the selected release sites and monitoring their progress, I feel fortunate to have participated in the most artistic portion of the process; bug sucking!