[Emily] Hey! We're here with Crystal, back at the field museum
[Emily] Hey! We're here with Crystal, back at the field museum

Crystal, what is it that you do here?
Crystal, what is it that you do here?

[Crystal] I am the Collection Manager of Insects at the Field Museum of Natural History
[Crystal] I am the Collection Manager of Insects at the Field Museum of Natural History

[Emily] You're an entomologist [Crystal] I am! [Emily] You study insects
[Emily] You're an entomologist [Crystal] I am! [Emily] You study insects

[Crystal] Yeah! [Emily] What is your area of focus?
[Crystal] Yeah! [Emily] What is your area of focus?

[Crystal] So, I study water beetles, specifically I study a group called the Riffle Beetles
[Crystal] So, I study water beetles, specifically I study a group called the Riffle Beetles

And the Riffle Beetles are the greatest beetles on Earth
And the Riffle Beetles are the greatest beetles on Earth

(Emily laughs)
(Emily laughs)

[Emily] You don't seem... You don't think that might be a bit of a biased statement? [Crystal] I don't
[Emily] You don't seem... You don't think that might be a bit of a biased statement? [Crystal] I don't

[Emily] What's so great about Riffle Beetles?
[Emily] What's so great about Riffle Beetles?

Also, when ever I hear the word "Riffle Beetles" I feel like there should be a guitar riff, like a (imitates guitar riff) (Crystal laughs)
Also, when ever I hear the word "Riffle Beetles" I feel like there should be a guitar riff, like a (imitates guitar riff) (Crystal laughs)

[Emily] Beetles!
[Emily] Beetles!

[Crystal] Riffle Beetles live underwater and they carry a bubble of air with them and they hold that air bubble for the rest of their life
[Crystal] Riffle Beetles live underwater and they carry a bubble of air with them and they hold that air bubble for the rest of their life

[Emily] Really!? [Crystal] And that can be up to five years or so
[Emily] Really!? [Crystal] And that can be up to five years or so

[Emily] You put me underwater with one bubble, I'll probably die
[Emily] You put me underwater with one bubble, I'll probably die

[Crystal] Part of it is that they're so tiny, that they're actually able to use some of the natural properties of water in order to breathe
[Crystal] Part of it is that they're so tiny, that they're actually able to use some of the natural properties of water in order to breathe

There's lots of different kinds of air in the air bubble,
There's lots of different kinds of air in the air bubble,

There's oxygen, there's carbon dioxide, there's nitrogen
There's oxygen, there's carbon dioxide, there's nitrogen

And as they use the oxygen in the air bubble,
And as they use the oxygen in the air bubble,

The pressure of the oxygen goes down and it's less than is in the surrounding water,
The pressure of the oxygen goes down and it's less than is in the surrounding water,

And so oxygen passively diffuses back into that air bubble
And so oxygen passively diffuses back into that air bubble

[Emily] Whaaaaaat?
[Emily] Whaaaaaat?

[Crystal] So, as they use oxygen and give off carbon dioxide in the air bubble,
[Crystal] So, as they use oxygen and give off carbon dioxide in the air bubble,

The concentration of the carbon dioxide in the air bubble increases compared to the surrounding water
The concentration of the carbon dioxide in the air bubble increases compared to the surrounding water

The carbon dioxide then diffuses back out into the water
The carbon dioxide then diffuses back out into the water

[Emily] What would be the evolutionary imperative for an organism to want to undergo so many adaptations that allows this to happen?
[Emily] What would be the evolutionary imperative for an organism to want to undergo so many adaptations that allows this to happen?

Like what's so great about living in the water?
Like what's so great about living in the water?

Why do the beetles want to-- [Crystal] This is why I work on water beetles! (Emily laughs)
Why do the beetles want to-- [Crystal] This is why I work on water beetles! (Emily laughs)

[Crystal] It was just an empty niche
[Crystal] It was just an empty niche

There was nothing there. There were no beetles living there [Emily] Yeah
There was nothing there. There were no beetles living there [Emily] Yeah

[Crystal] And nothing eating the periphyton and so these beetles, I guess, saw that as an opportunity
[Crystal] And nothing eating the periphyton and so these beetles, I guess, saw that as an opportunity

And they went underwater
And they went underwater

And what's actually cool is that there's closely related groups
And what's actually cool is that there's closely related groups

That will go into the water but they won't stay underwater [Emily] Oh!
That will go into the water but they won't stay underwater [Emily] Oh!

[Crystal] So, you can kind of almost see that gradient from life entirely out of water to a life entirely underwater
[Crystal] So, you can kind of almost see that gradient from life entirely out of water to a life entirely underwater

Where they never leave
Where they never leave

[Emily] Yeah. It reminds me of, like, whales, you know, coming--
[Emily] Yeah. It reminds me of, like, whales, you know, coming--

Ancient relatives of whales-- came out of the ocean and then at some point
Ancient relatives of whales-- came out of the ocean and then at some point

They were like, "you know, wasn't so bad in there"
They were like, "you know, wasn't so bad in there"

[Crystal] Right! [Emily] And then they like [Crystal] Exactly! [Emily] Evolved to go back to the ocean
[Crystal] Right! [Emily] And then they like [Crystal] Exactly! [Emily] Evolved to go back to the ocean

[Crystal] Exactly! And what's really cool is that you can see this happen over and over and over again in the Riffle Beetles
[Crystal] Exactly! And what's really cool is that you can see this happen over and over and over again in the Riffle Beetles

[Emily] You were just on a collecting trip to New Zealand
[Emily] You were just on a collecting trip to New Zealand

[Crystal] I was! We collected all around the south island, so we traveled from stream to stream
[Crystal] I was! We collected all around the south island, so we traveled from stream to stream

Sampling each stream looking for different populations of water beetles
Sampling each stream looking for different populations of water beetles

[Emily] Why is it so important to go to so many different streams,
[Emily] Why is it so important to go to so many different streams,

Like why don't you just go to one New Zealand stream and "oh, that's good"
Like why don't you just go to one New Zealand stream and "oh, that's good"

[Crystal] Because every stream has a different population
[Crystal] Because every stream has a different population

So, you can imagine a watershed, it's like a hand, with lots of little fingers that come out
So, you can imagine a watershed, it's like a hand, with lots of little fingers that come out

And each of those little fingers is a stream and they all come together into one larger stream and that's a watershed.
And each of those little fingers is a stream and they all come together into one larger stream and that's a watershed.

You might have another watershed over here, maybe there's a mountain in the middle
You might have another watershed over here, maybe there's a mountain in the middle

And those two are separate
And those two are separate

And so, they might have separate evolutionary paths
And so, they might have separate evolutionary paths

So, what we can do is we can study all those populations
So, what we can do is we can study all those populations

We can study their morphology, so, how they look. We can use their DNA to try to figure out how they're related,
We can study their morphology, so, how they look. We can use their DNA to try to figure out how they're related,

How far into the past or how deep into the past they separated,
How far into the past or how deep into the past they separated,

So, you might be able to match that up with different geological events
So, you might be able to match that up with different geological events

[Emily] You mentioned how important water beetles are for learning about the health of New Zealand streams
[Emily] You mentioned how important water beetles are for learning about the health of New Zealand streams

But, they also live all over the world
But, they also live all over the world

[Crystal] Actually, we know a lot more about the water beetles in the US than we do about the water beetles in New Zealand
[Crystal] Actually, we know a lot more about the water beetles in the US than we do about the water beetles in New Zealand

In fact, we had a curator here named Harry Nelson who worked on the same group of water beetles that I do
In fact, we had a curator here named Harry Nelson who worked on the same group of water beetles that I do

And he geo-referenced every place he collected on a map
And he geo-referenced every place he collected on a map

This is just an example of one of the maps that Harry Nelson had put together
This is just an example of one of the maps that Harry Nelson had put together

And what's really cool about it is he actually outlined all of the watersheds in Illinois on this map in different colors
And what's really cool about it is he actually outlined all of the watersheds in Illinois on this map in different colors

And now, we can actually use Geographic Information System, or GIS, we can use Google Earth
And now, we can actually use Geographic Information System, or GIS, we can use Google Earth

In fact, you can go on Google Earth right now and you can put all of your collecting localities on Google Earth right now
In fact, you can go on Google Earth right now and you can put all of your collecting localities on Google Earth right now

[Emily] Oh! [Crystal] If you really wanted to [Emily] That time I found a dead raccoon on the side of the road and brought it in?
[Emily] Oh! [Crystal] If you really wanted to [Emily] That time I found a dead raccoon on the side of the road and brought it in?

[Crystal] Put it on the map! [Emily] Yeah!
[Crystal] Put it on the map! [Emily] Yeah!

[Emily] Streams are super important environments, and when I think of, like, when you're trying to conserve an area
[Emily] Streams are super important environments, and when I think of, like, when you're trying to conserve an area

A lot of times streams are kinda neglected
A lot of times streams are kinda neglected

You know, you can put a border around a national park or a protected area
You know, you can put a border around a national park or a protected area

But the stream goes in and and the stream comes out
But the stream goes in and and the stream comes out

And there are opportunities for invasive species and pollution to, like, go into that stream
And there are opportunities for invasive species and pollution to, like, go into that stream

Are water beetles another one of those bioindicator species?
Are water beetles another one of those bioindicator species?

[Crystal] They are! They actually make a pretty good bioindicator, because a lot of species of Riffle Beetles
[Crystal] They are! They actually make a pretty good bioindicator, because a lot of species of Riffle Beetles

At least, we've seen in North America, that a lot of species of Riffle Beetles
At least, we've seen in North America, that a lot of species of Riffle Beetles

Will be sensitive to things like paper-mill pollution, Rayon-plant pollution, changes in pH,
Will be sensitive to things like paper-mill pollution, Rayon-plant pollution, changes in pH,

It's nice to conserve them for their inherent value, like,
It's nice to conserve them for their inherent value, like,

"Oh, this is a species of water beetle that only lives in this stream or watershed"
"Oh, this is a species of water beetle that only lives in this stream or watershed"

But, really we can use them as a tool to determine water quality
But, really we can use them as a tool to determine water quality

[Emily] You were obviously super stoked about seeing all these water beetles in New Zealand
[Emily] You were obviously super stoked about seeing all these water beetles in New Zealand

Was there anything else that you saw that was also really exciting?
Was there anything else that you saw that was also really exciting?

[Crystal] Yeah! So, one of my favorite insects that I saw in New Zealand, it's called the Blepharcerid
[Crystal] Yeah! So, one of my favorite insects that I saw in New Zealand, it's called the Blepharcerid

[Emily] What? [Crystal, slowly] Blephariceridae
[Emily] What? [Crystal, slowly] Blephariceridae

[Emily] Blepharcerid [Crystal] There you go
[Emily] Blepharcerid [Crystal] There you go

[Emily] Sounds like someone sneezed, like (imitates sneezing)
[Emily] Sounds like someone sneezed, like (imitates sneezing)

[Crystal] These Blepharcerids are a type of fly and they're unlike any fly you've ever seen before
[Crystal] These Blepharcerids are a type of fly and they're unlike any fly you've ever seen before

Their larvae actually live in the coldest, cleanest, most riffily streams there are, so right where you find Riffle Beetles
Their larvae actually live in the coldest, cleanest, most riffily streams there are, so right where you find Riffle Beetles

[Emily] Oh! [Crystal] What they do is they've got little suction cups on their body and they suction cup to rocks in streams
[Emily] Oh! [Crystal] What they do is they've got little suction cups on their body and they suction cup to rocks in streams

What's really fun is that when you're collecting in the stream, you're disturbing all the critters in the stream
What's really fun is that when you're collecting in the stream, you're disturbing all the critters in the stream

And what happens is they get disturbed too and then they float off and then they stick to your legs
And what happens is they get disturbed too and then they float off and then they stick to your legs

[Emily] The little suctions! [Crystal] And you have little suctions cups sticking to your legs, it's really cute
[Emily] The little suctions! [Crystal] And you have little suctions cups sticking to your legs, it's really cute

[Emily] It sounds like an adorable maggot
[Emily] It sounds like an adorable maggot

[Crystal] It's an adorable maggot
[Crystal] It's an adorable maggot

[Emily] 'Cause that's what they are! They're fly larvae [Crystal] That's their new common name: The Adorable Maggots
[Emily] 'Cause that's what they are! They're fly larvae [Crystal] That's their new common name: The Adorable Maggots

[Emily] The Adorable Maggots, I like that. [Crystal] If I had to work on a fly, I would work on Blepharcerids
[Emily] The Adorable Maggots, I like that. [Crystal] If I had to work on a fly, I would work on Blepharcerids

[Emily] Yeah, I think I would too
[Emily] Yeah, I think I would too

I probably... There's probably no chance I'll do that, but I'll just look at pictures of them
I probably... There's probably no chance I'll do that, but I'll just look at pictures of them

[Crystal] Okay [Emily] Little videos
[Crystal] Okay [Emily] Little videos

Transcribed by Ethan M.
Transcribed by Ethan M.