Volume 33, No 2 Winter 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Vol. 33(2) Winter 2014 The Newsletter of the BSC is published twice a year by the Biological Survey of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit group In this issue devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada, particularly Editorial...........................2 with respect to the Arthropoda. Information on Membership ....................3 New BSC President’s Update ..........4 Website launched! New BSC Website: check it ......................5 out! ................................ 5 BSC Symposium at the ESC Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands: .......................................6 Project Corner: Arthropods Seeking contributions for of Canadian Grasslands: .....7 Vol. 5! ...............7 Special Feature: Rearing parasitoids........................8 Museums of Canada Series: Ronald R. Hooper Special Feature: Entomology Collection, Royal José L. Fernández-Triana describes how we Saskatchewan .................12 can explore biodiversity through rearing para- sitoids.......................8 Biota of Canada Project ..... ......................................16 Museums of Canada Series: Recent papers in the Cory Sheffield introduces us to the Ronald R. Canadian Journal of Hooper Entomology Collection at the Royal Arthropod Identification Saskatchewan Museum .........................12 ..................................... 17 BSC FAQs.......................18 Biota of Canada: Project synopsis A new initiative of the BSC and your chance to get Requests for Material.....20 involved.............................................................16 FYI and FAQs about the BSC: Notices ..........................21 BSC President Dave Langor answers questions about the Biological Survey and the Biological Survey Foundation ...........................................18 Visit our Website | Previous issues Contact us: [email protected] Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 2 Editorial: Small Steps Forward Donna Giberson This is an exciting time for the BSC, as we continue to tweak and improve our updated website, wrap up our long-running Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands project with a proprosal for publication of a final (5th) volume, and continue to forge ahead onthe new Biota of Canada project. Consider getting involved, either at the Board level or as a member of one of the subcommittees that will be formed in the next year to help move If you haven’t yet looked up the new website, consider doing so, and send us your comments on what works, and of course, if there are any little bumps in navigating the site. The new site will continue to have links to biodiversity resources of the BSC, and our publications, and will be easier to keep up to date. Check it out, at http://biologicalsurvey.ca/ We’re very pleased to welcome our new Student Liaison member to the Biological Survey of Canada: Erin Campbell at the University of Alberta. Stay tuned for future issues where we hope to focus on student work on Canada’s biodiversity. To subscribe to the listserve or to view the archives go to http://www.mailman.srv.ualberta.ca/mailman/listinfo/canadian-arthropods Questions? Please contact us at [email protected] Tiger beetles on Blooming Point Beach, PEI. Photo: D.Giberson The Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada is published twice a year (sum- mer and winter) by the Biological Survey of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit group devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada, particularly with respect to the Arthropoda. Send submissions to: Dr. Donna Giberson ([email protected]) or Dr. Doug Currie ([email protected]) Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3 Masthead image: Tricoloured Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius photographed on Lupins in PEI in 2010, D.Giberson Volume 33(2) Winter 2014 Return to front page Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 3 Biological Survey of Canada: Documenting Canada’s Biodiversity The Biological Survey of Canada (BSC) has been collecting, collating, analyzing and disseminating information about Canada’s biological diversity since 1977. The BSC is a non-profit, charitable organization consisting of biodiversity scientists across the country, and in other countries, who have an interest in Canadian biota. The BSC prides itself in identifying and filling biodiversity information needs using a bottom-up organizational structure, whereby front-line workers identify the needs and work to address them. The BSC has successfully demonstrated its capacity to advance national level biodiversity science and knowledge concerning terrestrial arthropods, which account for >60% of Canadian species, and is now reaching out to the broader biological community to bring together those who are experts with other taxa and who share a common vision and goal of making biodiversity information more accessible. Are you a member of the BSC? You may be on the mailing list to receive BSC newsletters, but may not be a member! To become a member, send a request for membership to the BSC Secretary, Jade Sav- age (see below). Remember to request membership before the AGM so you are eligible to vote. If you don’t hear from us within a couple of weeks, please contact us again, to be sure your request has been received. TO JOIN THE BSC: Send an email to Dr. J. Savage, Secretary, BSC. [email protected] - In the subject line, write “BSC Membership” - in the body of the message, give your full name and contact infor- mation, and a valid email address. Remember to update the BSC if you change email addresses. Please also provide some informa- tion on your background and biodiversity interests. Volume 33(2) Winter 2014 Return to front page Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 4 Winter Update: Biological Survey of Canada/ Commission biologique du Canada activities David Langor, Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB Dear Colleagues and Friends: I am pleased to provide a brief update on the activities and accom- plishments of the BSC covering the last six months. Yippee…after much searching, I am happy to report that we now have a student representative on the BSC Board. Erin Campbell was appointed to the Board in November. She just finished up her B.Sc at the University of Alberta and also worked with Nature Alberta for almost two years as the Bird Conservation Program Manager, where she ran citizen science-based programs and was involved in public science education. She is just starting a M.Sc program at the University of Alberta where she will work with Felix Sperling on species delimitation in Speyeria butterflies. Welcome to the gang, Erin! Volumes 3 and 4 of the Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands book series are selling well. Don’t forget to pick up copies of these superb volumes for your library. Dan Johnson (University of Lethbridge) has kindly agreed to take the lead on development of Volume 5 which will focus on diversity and systematics, as did Volumes 3 and 4. If you would like to contribute a chapter to this book, I invite you to contact Dan (dan.johnson@ uleth.ca) as soon as possible. The Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification recently released two new volumes: Volume 26 – An Illustrated Identification Key to Assassin Bug Subfamilies and Tribes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) by Weirauch et al. (2014) and Volume 27 – Key to Forensically Important Piophilidae (Diptera) in the Nearctic Region by Rochefort et al. (2015). Check them out! If you are developing manuscripts that would be suitable for this peer-reviewed journal, please contact the editor, Steve Marshall ([email protected]). The BSC is happy and proud to have organized another popular symposium, Oppo- site ends of the time scale - ancient and recent changes in insect diversity, for the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of the ESC. Thanks to Greg Pohl and Cory Sheffield for organizing this symposium and to the authors of the 9 papers presented. The BSC is now soliciting proposals for its symposium scheduled for the 2015 JAM in Montreal. If you have a suggestion, please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to [email protected]. The Biota of Canada (BoC) Project continues to progress steadily on three fronts. First, we continue to explore strategic partnerships with other organizations to establish a broader support foundation for this project, both strengthening existing connections with the National General Status of Species in Canada Working Group and Canadensys and recently initiating conversations with the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution and NatureServe Canada. Second, the BoC Working Group, chaired by David Shorthouse and comprising a diverse assemblage of respected biodiversity experts across Canada, has made great progress with developing a ‘White Paper’ that scopes out the content, functionality and practical management of a Biota of Canada product. When the White Paper is finished early in 2015, it will be circulated broadly within the Canadian biodiversity community for feed- back, so be on the lookout for this in the next couple of months and please get involved by providing constructive feedback. Finally, a part-time term employee (Laura DeHaas) Volume 33(2) Winter 2014 Return to front page Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 5 has been very active in connecting with taxonomic experts and mining all information sources to develop updated species richness estimates for Canada for animals, plants and