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Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Vol. 35(2) Winter 2016 The Newsletter of the BSC is published twice a year by the Biological Survey of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit In this issue group devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada. From the editor’s desk.....2 Information on Student Corner: Membership ....................3 The effects of in situ extraction on boreal forest President’s Update ..........4 butterflies in the Alberta oil BSC on facebook & twit- sands..........................6 ter....................................5 Federico Riva University of Alberta BSC Student Corner: ........5 Boreal forest butterflies..6 Southern Alberta Tardigrades on mosses Tardigrades.................9 from southern Alberta grasslands: extraction, Carmacks Bioblitz 2016...14 occurrence, and density Book announcements: .................................9 - A Handbook to the Julietta Sorensen and Ticks of Canada (Ixo- Cameron Goater, University of Lethbridge dida: Ixodidae, Argasi- dae)..............................16 -The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History..........................17 2016 BioBlitz: Carmacks Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification: Yukon.........14 recent paper...................18 Check out the BSC Website: Publications ....18 Book Announcements: Biota of Canada Project Handbook to the Ticks of Canada..................16 Synopis ..........................19 The Biological Survey of Canada: A personal History.........................................................17 BSC FAQs........................20 Project synopsis Notices ...........................21 Biota of Canada: Your chance to get involved.................................19 FYI and FAQs about the BSC: BSC President Dave Langor answers questions about the Biological Survey and the Biological Survey Foundation..20 Visit our Website | Previous issues http://biologicalsurvey.ca http://biologicalsurvey.ca/pages/read/newsletter-past-issues Contact us: [email protected] Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 2 From the Editor’s desk Donna Giberson This year marks 35 years of publishing the BSC Newsletter, and next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the Biological Survey of Canada; both important milestones for our organization. It is exciting to report on all the activities in which the Biological Survey of Canada is involved, particularly after the tough years immediately following the separa- tion of the Survey from the National Museum of Canada. Our new Board has brought a lot of energy to ongoing and new projects, and we can look forward to special issues of Zookeys and The Canadian Entomologist that will feature work of the Biological Survey, as well as the publication this year of the important “Ticks of Canada” monograph. As we celebrate or look forward to these publications, we also have the chance to glance backwards, with the publication of a History of the BSC, by Hugh Danks. What a wealth of reading about Canadian Biodiversity for 2017! If you haven’t yet looked up our website or checked out the BSC on facebook, consider doing so, and send us your comments; of course, if there are any little bumps in navigating the site, we’d like to hear about them. 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/ D.Giberson Tiger beetles on Blooming Point Beach, PEI. The Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada is published twice a year (summer 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]) 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 35(2) Winter 2016 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. Check out the BSC website! http://biologicalsurvey.ca/ Volume 35(2) Winter 2016 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 As I sit writing this report, outside my office window the snow is coming down quickly, nearly horizontally, and the temperature is plummeting. This unpleasantness is, however, somewhat balanced with the pleasant thoughts of the pending holiday season that is just around the corner. Preparation of this update has turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant diversion from the ‘weather blues’ – surprising because I generally consider report-writing of any sort to be an odious task – pleasant (this time) because it caused me to realize how much the BSC continually accomplishes despite limited funds and lacking a Secretariat, which was a major support element over most of the history of the organi- zation. The last six months have been busy! Our e-journal, the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, released olumeV 29 – Identification of Delia pest species (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in cultivated cru- cifers and other vegetable crops in Canada by Jade Savage et al. If you are devel- oping manuscripts that would be suitable for this peer-reviewed journal, please contact the editor, Steve Marshall ([email protected]). Thank-you Steve for your continued leadership and dedication. The newest BSC monograph, a terrific book on theTicks of Canada by Lindquist et al., was published in late September and is available for purchase through Volumes Di- rect. It is also available for free download from the BSC website. Congratulations to the authors for this very valuable addition to Canadian scientific literature. As well, the BSC has just published an important historical document, The Biological Survey of Cana- da: A Personal History by Hugh Danks, one of the founders of the BSC. It is chock-full of information and stories about the BSC and the many people who were involved in its inception and success. This document will be available for free download from our web- site early in the New Year, 2017. The BSC held a very successful Bio-Blitz near Carmacks, Yukon, June 24-26, 2016. The >60 participants were able to collect in Beringian territory and at other nearby localities. A special thanks to Syd Cannings and his team for organizing this opportunity to sample biodiversity in a fascinating and under-sampled place. The BSC is organizing a Bio-Blitz for 2017 in the Cypress Hills of southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and in the nearby Great Sand Hills of SK. The Biota of Canada (BoC) Project made some good progress. The first olumev of the ‘Biodiversity Assessment’ series, which focuses on terrestrial arthropods is underway with authors now busy writing the ca. 40 papers that will comprise this Special Issue of ZooKeys. This work, edited by David Langor and Cory Sheffield, will essentially revisit the taxon-focused chapters in Danks (1979) Canada and Its Insect Fauna, and provide the first comprehensive update in almost 40 years. As well, planning for the Biota of Canada Checklist series is well under way and we expect the official launching of this long-term series in the Biodiversity Data Journal early in 2017. To help mark the 40th anniversary of the BSC, a special commemorative issue of The Canadian Entomologist, edited by Héctor Cárcamo and Donna Giberson, is underway and should be published by the time of the 2017 Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of Canada and Manitoba. As well,
Recommended publications
  • Analysis of Tardigrade Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup) Expressed in Tobacco

    Analysis of Tardigrade Damage Suppressor Protein (Dsup) Expressed in Tobacco

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  • Diapause in Tardigrades: a Study of Factors Involved in Encystment

    Diapause in Tardigrades: a Study of Factors Involved in Encystment

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  • Conference Program

    Conference Program

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  • Introduction to the Body-Plan of Onychophora and Tardigrada

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  • The Impact of Tourists on Antarctic Tardigrades: an Ordination-Based Model

    The Impact of Tourists on Antarctic Tardigrades: an Ordination-Based Model

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    Glime, J. M. 2017. Tardigrade Reproduction and Food. Chapt. 5-2. In: Glime, J. M. Bryophyte Ecology. Volume 2. Bryological 5-2-1 Interaction. Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists. Last updated 18 July 2020 and available at <http://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/bryophyte-ecology2/>. CHAPTER 5-2 TARDIGRADE REPRODUCTION AND FOOD TABLE OF CONTENTS Life Cycle and Reproductive Strategies .............................................................................................................. 5-2-2 Reproductive Strategies and Habitat ............................................................................................................ 5-2-3 Eggs ............................................................................................................................................................. 5-2-3 Molting ......................................................................................................................................................... 5-2-7 Cyclomorphosis ........................................................................................................................................... 5-2-7 Bryophytes as Food Reservoirs ........................................................................................................................... 5-2-8 Role in Food Web ...................................................................................................................................... 5-2-12 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................................
  • The Wonders of Mauritius

    The Wonders of Mauritius

    Evolutionary Systematics. 5 2021, 93–120 | DOI 10.3897/evolsyst.5.59997 Echiniscidae in the Mascarenes: the wonders of Mauritius Yevgen Kiosya1, Katarzyna Vončina2, Piotr Gąsiorek2 1 School of Biology, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Svobody Sq. 4, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine 2 Department of Invertebrate Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland http://zoobank.org/22050C34-40A5-4B7A-9969-222AE927D6AA Corresponding author: Piotr Gąsiorek ([email protected]) Academic editor: A. Schmidt-Rhaesa ♦ Received 24 October 2020 ♦ Accepted 7 December 2020 ♦ Published 9 April 2021 Abstract Many regions of the world remain unexplored in terms of the tardigrade diversity, and the islands of the Indian Ocean are no excep- tion. In this work, we report four species of the family Echiniscidae representing three genera from Mauritius, the second largest is- land in the Mascarene Archipelago. Two species belong in the genus Echiniscus: Echiniscus perarmatus Murray, 1907, a pantropical species, and one new species: Echiniscus insularis sp. nov., one of the smallest members of the spinulosus group and the entire genus, being particularly interesting due to the presence of males and supernumerary teeth-like spicules along the margins of the dorsal plates. The new species most closely resembles Echiniscus tropicalis Binda & Pilato, 1995, for which we present extensive mul- tipopulation data and greatly extend its distribution eastwards towards islands of Southeast Asia. Pseudechiniscus (Meridioniscus) mascarenensis sp. nov. is a typical member of the subgenus with elongated (dactyloid) cephalic papillae and the pseudosegmental plate IV’ with reduced posterior projections in males. Finally, a Bryodelphax specimen is also recorded.
  • Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada)

    Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada)

    bs_bs_banner Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013. With 6 figures Congruence between molecular phylogeny and cuticular design in Echiniscoidea (Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada) NOEMÍ GUIL1*, ASLAK JØRGENSEN2, GONZALO GIRIBET FLS3 and REINHARDT MØBJERG KRISTENSEN2 1Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain 2Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, Denmark 3Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Received 21 November 2012; revised 2 September 2013; accepted for publication 9 September 2013 Although morphological characters distinguishing echiniscid genera and species are well understood, the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa are not well established. We thus investigated the phylogeny of Echiniscidae, assessed the monophyly of Echiniscus, and explored the value of cuticular ornamentation as a phylogenetic character within Echiniscus. To do this, DNA was extracted from single individuals for multiple Echiniscus species, and 18S and 28S rRNA gene fragments were sequenced. Each specimen was photographed, and published in an open database prior to DNA extraction, to make morphological evidence available for future inquiries. An updated phylogeny of the class Heterotardigrada is provided, and conflict between the obtained molecular trees and the distribution of dorsal plates among echiniscid genera is highlighted. The monophyly of Echiniscus was corroborated by the data, with the recent genus Diploechiniscus inferred as its sister group, and Testechiniscus as the sister group of this assemblage. Three groups that closely correspond to specific types of cuticular design in Echiniscus have been found with a parsimony network constructed with 18S rRNA data.
  • Educator's Guide

    Educator's Guide

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  • Tardigrades: an Imaging Approach, a Record of Occurrence, and A

    Tardigrades: an Imaging Approach, a Record of Occurrence, and A

    TARDIGRADES: AN IMAGING APPROACH, A RECORD OF OCCURRENCE, AND A BIODIVERSITY INVENTORY By STEVEN LOUIS SCHULZE A thesis submitted to the Graduate School-Camden Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Science Graduate Program in Biology Written under the direction of Dr. John Dighton And approved by ____________________________ Dr. John Dighton ____________________________ Dr. William Saidel ____________________________ Dr. Emma Perry ____________________________ Dr. Jennifer Oberle Camden, New Jersey May 2020 THESIS ABSTRACT Tardigrades: An Imaging Approach, A Record of Occurrence, and a Biodiversity Inventory by STEVEN LOUIS SCHULZE Thesis Director: Dr. John Dighton Three unrelated studies that address several aspects of the biology of tardigrades— morphology, records of occurrence, and local biodiversity—are herein described. Chapter 1 is a collaborative effort and meant to provide supplementary scanning electron micrographs for a forthcoming description of a genus of tardigrade. Three micrographs illustrate the structures that will be used to distinguish this genus from its confamilials. An In toto lateral view presents the external structures relative to one another. A second micrograph shows a dentate collar at the distal end of each of the fourth pair of legs, a posterior sensory organ (cirrus E), basal spurs at the base of two of four claws on each leg, and a ventral plate. The third micrograph illustrates an appendage on the second leg (p2) of the animal and a lateral appendage (C′) at the posterior sinistral margin of the first paired plate (II). This image also reveals patterning on the plate margin and the leg.
  • A Molecular Study of the Tardigrade Echiniscus Testudo (Echiniscidae) Reveals Low DNA Sequence Diversity Over a Large Geographical Area

    A Molecular Study of the Tardigrade Echiniscus Testudo (Echiniscidae) Reveals Low DNA Sequence Diversity Over a Large Geographical Area

    G. Pilato and L. Rebecchi (Guest Editors) Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on Tardigrada J. Limnol., 66(Suppl. 1): 77-83, 2007 A molecular study of the tardigrade Echiniscus testudo (Echiniscidae) reveals low DNA sequence diversity over a large geographical area Aslak JØRGENSEN*, Nadja MØBJERG1) and Reinhardt M. KRISTENSEN2) The Mandahl-Barth Centre for Biodiversity and Health, DBL – Centre for Health Research and Development, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jægersborg Allé 1D, DK-2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark 1)Institute of Molecular Biology, The August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 13, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark 2)The Zoological Museum, The Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark *e-mail corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT In the present study we investigate the genetic diversity within the asexually reproducing tardigrade Echiniscus testudo. The present study is the first to sample a tardigrade species for comparison of DNA sequence diversity between widely separated samples. Echiniscus testudo was sampled at 13 localities spanning three continents. DNA sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene and the nuclear ITS2 sequence were used to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of the various asexual lineages. Terrestrial tardigrades with the capability of entering a cryptobiotic state are assumed to have a high passive dispersal potential through airborne transport. Our results show moderate (ITS2) to high (COI) haplotype diversity and low sequence diversity that indicate evolution of haplotypes within distinct asexual lineages and a high dispersal potential. No isolation by distance was detected by Mantel tests.
  • Contribution to the Knowledge on Distribution of Tardigrada in Turkey

    Contribution to the Knowledge on Distribution of Tardigrada in Turkey

    diversity Article Contribution to the Knowledge on Distribution of Tardigrada in Turkey Duygu Berdi * and Ahmet Altında˘g Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, 06100 Ankara, Turkey; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 28 December 2019; Accepted: 4 March 2020; Published: 6 March 2020 Abstract: Tardigrades have been occasionally studied in Turkey since 1973. However, species number and distribution remain poorly known. In this study, distribution of Tardigrades in the province of Karabük, which is located in northern coast (West Black Sea Region) of Turkey, was carried out. Two moss samples were collected from the entrance of the Bulak (Mencilis) Cave. A total of 30 specimens and 14 eggs were extracted. Among the specimens; Echiniscus granulatus (Doyère, 1840) and Diaforobiotus islandicus islandicus (Richters, 1904) are new records for Karabük. Furthermore, this study also provides a current checklist of tardigrade species reported from Turkey, indicating their localities, geographic distribution and taxonomical comments. Keywords: cave; Diaforobiotus islandicus islandicus; Echiniscus granulatus; Karabük; Tardigrades; Turkey 1. Introduction Caves are not only one of the most important forms of karst, but also one of the most unique forms of karst topography in terms of both size and formation characteristics, which are formed by mechanical melting and partly chemical erosion of water [1]. Most of the caves in Turkey were developed within the Cretaceous and Tertiary limestone, metamorphic limestone [2], and up to now ca. 40 000 karst caves have been recorded in Turkey. Although, most of these caves are found in the karstic plateaus zone in the Toros System, important caves, such as Kızılelma, Sofular, Gökgöl and Mencilis, have also formed in the Western Black Sea [3].