The Bug Bet
Spurred by a bet, Natural History Museum curator Brian Brown went on a mission to uncover new species of bugs in the comfort of his colleague's own backyard.
Brown defied the odds and identified a new bug to science. The discovery soon became the framework for a larger citywide initiative dedicated to biodiversity and the discovery of new species of insects.
The museum calls it BioSCAN, a program that identifies new species of insects in diverse regions in Los Angeles using Malaise trap sampling for three years. Interested families are encouraged to share their backyards for purposes of science.
Reporter Cara Santa Maria interviews Natural History Museum curators Brian Brown and Regina Wetzer for more on new insect discoveries. She'll also hear from a family in Los Feliz who participated in the project.
Featuring Interviews With:
- Brian V. Brown, curator of Entomology
- Brady Yip, citizen scientist
- Timothy and Pauline Yip, citizen scientists