Media advisory: UW-Madison experts not scared to talk Halloween
Halloween is a time to share spooky stories while playing dress-up and eating candy. What’s not to like? (Except candy corn.) Experts from UW–Madison can talk on a variety of subjects including vampires, spiders, bats and pumpkins.
MUMMIES, ZOMBIES, VAMPIRES — AND THEY’RE ALL INSECTS
PJ Liesch, director of the UW–Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab (more commonly known as UW’s “bug guy”), can talk about spooky examples from the world of insects. This includes parasites that transform their living hosts into “mummies,” insects that become walking “zombies” before they die, and an array of blood-sucking arthropod “vampires.” “With over a million species of insects known on the planet, there’s an astonishing diversity of ‘spooky’ parasites and predators out there,” Liesch says. “It’s easy to see how some of these insects serve as the inspiration for the monsters in horror and science fiction films.” Contact: PJ Liesch, pliesch@wisc.edu, 608-262-6510.0
A LITTLE LOVE FOR BATS
You think bats are scary? Try living in a world without them. “Bats get an unfair reputation as being creepy or scary, especially around Halloween time, but they’re actually super interesting animals with an important role in the ecosystem,” says Amy Wray, a doctoral student in wildlife ecology. “The only mammal capable of true powered flight (flying squirrels are just big fakers), there are nearly 1,400 species of bats. These beautiful animals are found everywhere in the world except Antarctica, and though many of them are brown, they can also be a huge variety of colors — white bats, grey bats, even speckled and striped bats! Bats do important things for humans like eating pesky insects, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds. Without bats, we wouldn’t have many of the food plants that we like to eat — so a world without bats would really be frightening.” Wray’s master’s thesis focuses on the feeding habits and pathogens of common vampire bats in Guatemala. Currently, Wray is using next-generation DNA sequencing and other methods to study the diets of insect-eating bats in Wisconsin. She is all too happy to talk about bats and can be reached at awray2@wisc.edu or 760-917-0585. To learn five things Wray thinks everyone should know about vampire bats, visit https://grow.cals.wisc.edu/departments/five-things/five-things-everyone-should-know-about-vampire-bats.
HE WANTS, TO TEACH YOU, ABOUT VAMPIRES
Vampires are quite popular in pop culture. Tomislav Z. Longinović, an expert on vampire legends and professor of Slavic, Comparative Literature and Visual Culture, is teaching a “Vampire in Literature and Film class” to more than 300 students this semester. He can comment on the enduring intrigue of vampires and Dracula. He may be reached at tlongino@wisc.edu
FUN WITHOUT FEAR
Dr. Marcia Slattery, an expert in child psychiatry, can talk about how Halloween makes some children anxious and what parents can do help make Halloween a little less scary. Contact: Susan Lampert Smith, ssmith5@uwhealth.org, or (608) 890-5643.
TRICK OR TREAT – AND THEN EAT SOME VEGGIES
Cassie Vanderwall, a clinical nutritionist with UW Hospital and Clinics, can offer tips on how to make sure your little trick-or-treater doesn’t overdo it in the treat department. Contact: Emily Kumlien at ekumlien@uwhealth.org
HOW TO FIND A GREAT PUMPKIN
It’s pumpkin season, but what makes for the perfect gourd? Irwin Goldman, a professor of horticulture and expert on plant breeding, can talk about this seasonal tradition. Contact: Irwin Goldman, ilgoldma@wisc.edu, 608-262-7781.