Most students and researchers at FHL focus, not surprisingly, on marine habitats and organisms.  UW also owns a large amount of terrestrial habitat here, on both San Juan and Shaw Islands, and we love it when a class or scientist finds useful research opportunities on these lands.  This essay focuses on a fascinating group of insects that can be found on UW land; other researchers have studied hummingbirds, trees, and overall landscapes.  We encourage more use of these terrestrial reserves, which are largely undisturbed and thus make great study sites.

A Blistering Tale at FHL

by Dr. Michele Price

Michele Price is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences, School of STEM, at the University of Washington Bothell where she teaches courses in which students explore the interplay between form and function of both invertebrates and vertebrate animals. She strongly encourages student involvement in research as a hands-on, tactile teaching tool. At UW Bothell she has mentored students with research projects related to exploring the invertebrate communities, especially insects, within the restored UWB/CC North Creek Wetlands, St. Edward State Park in partnership with the UWB Environmental Education Research Center (EERC), and other regions of the Pacific Northwest.

During my Spring 2024 sabbatical at Friday Harbor Labs (FHL), I honestly had to pinch myself each day to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  For over a decade, I had long dreamed of returning to FHL.  My first experience at FHL was in Spring 2013 when I was teaching at Lewis-Clark State College, a small college in Lewiston, ID.  I had created a new Invertebrate Zoology course, and being in landlocked Idaho I was eager for my students to experience the incredible diversity and abundance of marine invertebrate life.  Friday Harbor Labs offered the perfect opportunity for a multi-day field trip for my students, so we embarked on a long road trip and ferry ride, which felt truly magical.  For some of my students, it was their first time on a ferry and their first real adventure away from home.  That experience remains one of my favorite and happiest teaching moments.  After that, life took me on a different path as I transitioned into a faculty position at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and then later I returned to the west and joined the University of Washington Bothell (UWB) in 2016.  When it came time at UWB to decide where I wanted to go for my sabbatical it was crystal clear: I had to return to FHL!

While most researchers at FHL head to the sea, my research took me to the woods to explore insects.  I am an entomologist with a particular fondness for exploring Pacific Northwest terrestrial insect/arachnid biodiversity, especially in relation to cantharidin-orienting behavior.  Before I continue you might be wondering What is cantharidin?  Also known as Spanish fly, cantharidin is one of the most famous and oldest known toxins from insects.  Cantharidin has been used for more than 2,000 years in both folk and traditional medicine.  It is a terpenoid produced only by blister beetles (Meloidae) and false blister beetles (Oedemeridae) for defensive purposes.  Interestingly, in the blister beetles (Meloidae) both sexes contain cantharidin; however, it is only the male blister beetle that can biosynthesize cantharidin within accessory glands.  It is during copulation that the female receives cantharidin from the male.  When the female eventually lays her eggs, they will be coated with cantharidin to provide protection.  As the name implies, if a blister beetle or false blister beetle is frightened, they will ooze cantharidin laden fluid out of their joints.  This “beetle-juice” is their hemolymph (their blood).  Exposure to this “beetle-juice” can cause fluid filled blisters on the skin.  If ingested it can be deadly.  Hopefully at this point you are thinking the last thing you want to do is either touch or eat this chemical, and most likely stay clear of it.  However, despite its toxicity, a diverse range of organisms from amphibians to birds to harvestmen (Opiliones) to insects are attracted to this compound in nature.  Of the canthariphilous (cantharidin-loving) animals, insects represent the majority, and demonstrate a diverse range of insect groups as well, from beetles to true bugs to flies to wasps, and more.  For many, the specific role of cantharidin in their biology is unknown, while for others it appears related to defense and nuptial gifts.  Some canthariphilous insects are like little vampires on the blister beetles: they suck the beetles’ cantharidin rich blood and acquire its superpower of defense.  Our current research explores the diversity of canthariphilous arthropods in the Pacific Northwest, now including the San Juan Islands, and attempts to uncover the mysteries behind this intriguing behavior.

Beginning in late March 2024 I traveled to FHL with several goals in mind, one of which was to explore the remarkable yet underutilized resource of the UW Terrestrial Biological Preserves of the San Juan Archipelago.  My exploration involved two main components: investigating the diversity of cantharidin-orienting arthropods and considering logistics for getting students out to these areas for future independent studies and class fieldtrips.  I set up a variety of traps: experimental (baited with a very dilute form of cantharidin), control (non-cantharidin treated), pitfall traps and Lindgren traps to collect insects in two UW Preserves in the San Juan Islands: Friday Harbor Preserve on San Juan Island & Cedar Rock Preserve on Shaw Island.  Each preserve is roughly 400 acres consisting of mixed forests – some with old growth characteristics – and rocky coastal prairie knolls with grasses and wildflowers.  Traps were regularly checked throughout the spring/early summer and eventually taken down in July.  Specimens were brought back to the lab for analysis, which included the opportunity to utilize the Micro-CT Scanner (Bruker Skyscan 1173 at the FHL Karel F. Liem Bioimaging Facility/Adam Summers’ lab) to investigate the anatomy of various insect species for which the function of their anatomy remains unknown.  My experience at FHL contributed significantly to my sabbatical goal of developing new technological skills and knowledge that I can integrate into my teaching, research, and mentorship of undergraduate students.

I can’t help but laugh at the incredible logistics involved in conducting field research on Shaw Island.  It often felt like an entomological adventure race, complete with biking (I used my bike along with a Burley bike trailer), ferry rides, and hiking with a hefty backpack.  Every moment of it was a joy!  During those adventures, I not only saw amazing insects, but incredible plants and other wildlife like orca, otters, sea stars, nudibranchs (sea slugs), and much more.  I also met amazing people who were curious of what was in the Burley, wondering if I had a child or dog in there.  And when I said I had insect collecting gear this led to delightful and appreciative discussions about insects.  Even the Shaw Island ferry cat made me feel welcome!

From the instant I entered lab 10 at FHL and discovered I was surrounded by some of the most incredible entomologists, to the chance to learn how to operate the Micro-CT scanner for investigating insect anatomy, to the convenience of conducting field research right at Friday Harbor Preserve and the breathtaking tranquility of Cedar Rock Preserve on Shaw Island – it was all so magical.  Having my husband and daughter visit this remarkable place, especially during the northern lights, made it even more special.  It was truly an unforgettable experience!  I’m grateful for this opportunity, made possible by an FHL Faculty Research Fellowship.  I look forward to continuing this partnership with FHL and in the very near future, bringing more students to experience this incredibly inspiring place.

SOME GENERAL REFERENCES:

Eisner T., Smedley S.R., Young D.K., Eisner M., Roach B., and J. Meinwald.  1996.  Chemical basis of courtship in a beetle (Neopyrochroa flabellata): Cantharidin as “nuptial gift”.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.: 93, 6499-6503.

Hashimoto K., and F. Hayashi.  2014.  Cantharidin World in Nature: a Concealed Arthropod Assemblage with Interactions via the Terpenoid Cantharidin.  Entomological Science: 17(4), 388–395.

Moed L., Shwayder T.A., and M.W. Chang.  2001.  Cantharidin Revisited: A Blistering Defense of an Ancient Medicine.  Arch Dermatol.: 137(10), 1357–1360.  doi:10.1001/archderm.137.10.1357

Price M.B. and D.K. Young.  2007.  An Annotated Checklist of Wisconsin Handsome Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera:  Endomychidae).  The Great Lakes Entomologist: 40(3 & 4), 177-188.

Tide Bites is a monthly email with the latest news and stories about Friday Harbor Labs.  Want more?  Subscribe to Tide Bites or browse the archives.