Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Vol. 36(1) Summer 2017 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 Application of President’s Report ...........4 Soil Mesostigmata as Bioindicators and a Summer Update ...............6 Description of Common BSC on facebook & twit- Groups Found in the ter....................................5 Boreal Forest in Northern Alberta..........................9 BSC Student Corner ..........8 Soil Mesostigmata..........9 Matthew Meehan, MSc student, University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences Bioblitz 2017..................13 Book announcements: BSC BioBlitz 2017 - A Handbook to the Bioblitzing the Cypress Ticks of Canada (Ixo- Hills dida: Ixodidae, Argasi- Contact: Cory Sheffield.........13 dae)..............................15 -The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History..........................16 BSC Symposium 2017 Canadian Journal of Canada 150: Canada’s Insect Diversity in Arthropod Identification: Expected and Unexpected Places recent papers..................17 Contact: Cory Sheffield .....................................14 Wild Species 2015 Report available ........................17 Book Announcements: Handbook to the Ticks of Canada..................15 Check out the BSC The Biological Survey of Canada: A personal Website: Publications ....17 History .........................................................16 Biota of Canada Project Synopis ..........................18 Biota of Canada: Project synopsis BSC FAQs........................19 Your chance to get involved..................................18 Notices ...........................20 FYI and FAQs about the BSC: Former BSC President Dave Langor answers questions about the Biological Survey............................................19 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 the 40th anniversary of the Biological Survey of Canada, and the BSC has a few initiatives to mark the occasion! The first one up is this summer, with the an- nual BSC Bioblitz occurring in July at Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan). This bioblitz (http:// bioblitzcanada.ca/events_science-cypress.aspx) is being held in conjunction with the Canada 150 Bio-Blitz initiative (http://bioblitzcanada.ca/). The annual BSC symposium at the Entomological Society of Canada meeting will also celebrate this anniversary, and there will be a special issue of The Canadian Entomologist (hopefully published in late 2017) devoted to the BSC as well. If you have not yet seen it, I also urge you to check out Hugh Dank’s new book on the history of the BSC, available as a free pdf on the BSC monographs website page (http://biologicalsurvey.ca/monographs/read/19). What a wealth of activities 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 36(1) Summer 2017 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, Joel Gibson (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 Joel Gibson, 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 36(1) Summer 2017 Return to front page Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 4 President’s report to the AGM of the Biological Survey of Canada/Commission biologique du Canada David Langor Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB Members of the BSC, Colleagues and Friends: This brief report of BSC activities covers the period October 2016 to April 2017. This year (2017) marks the 40th year of opera- tions for the BSC. The BSC Board decided to move the AGM from fall to spring this year as the Canadian Revenue Agency requires the AGM to be held within the first 6 months following the end of the fiscal year. Thus, this report covers about a 7 month period. It is heartening to see that the BSC membership continues to grow steadily as more people, and people with a wider diversity of interests, join up. As well, more people are getting involved in BSC projects and activities. As the success of the BSC depends not on the number of names on its membership list but on the engagement of its members in activities, both ongoing and new, the single greatest challenge and most important goal of the BSC Board is to encourage/inspire the membership to get involved. Over the last 40 years, the BSC has accumulated a lot of materials that require ar- chiving. This material has been sitting in temporary storage for a couple of years. I am happy to announce that the BSC archives have now been moved to a new home at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Thanks to Andrew Smith for helping with this process. The BSC continues to be very active with dissemination of information about Canadian biodiversity through our web site, newsletter, journal, and monographs. The most recent newsletter issue was published last December, and the next issue is schedule for June 2017. Thanks to Newsletter editor Donna Giberson for her dedication and seemingly boundless energy. I encourage you all to think about contributing articles, news and announcements about your biodiversity activities. I’d also like to thank Erin Campbell, the student representative on the BSC Board, for her great work in mobilizing student submissions to the Newsletter. Our e-journal, the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, released two volumes since the last AGM: Volume 30 – Cleptoparasitic Bees of the Genus Epeolus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Canada by T. Onuferko, and Volume 31– A Review of the Species of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Genera of Drosophilidae of Northeastern North America by M.E. Miller, S.A. Marshall, and D.A. Grimaldi. If you are developing manuscripts that would be suitable for this peer-reviewed journal, please contact the editor, Steve Marshall ([email protected]). Thank-you to CJAI Editor Steve Marshall for his continued leadership. A couple of months ago, the BSC published an important historical document, The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History by Hugh Danks, one of the found- ers of the BSC. This work covers mainly the period 1977-2009, and some indices provide information current to 2016. It is chock-full of information and stories about the BSC and the many people who created it and kept it successful for so long. This document is available only as a free download from our website. Thanks to Hugh for authoring this valuable historical document, and to Donna Giberson for doing the lay-out for this volume. There is a suite of ongoing special initiatives that will commemorate the 40th anniver- sary of the BSC. A BSC Bio-Blitz will be held in the Cypress Hills of southern Saskatch- ewan and Alberta from July 27-31. This Bio-Blitz is part of the Canada 150 Bio-Blitz initiative. Thanks to Cory Sheffield for leading this initiative. The BSC (Cory Sheffield) is also organizing a celebratory symposium for the Joint Annual Meeting in Winnipeg this fall. Finally, a special issue of The Canadian Entomologist, edited by Héctor Cárcamo and Donna Giberson, to be published a bit later in 2017, will contain papers ranging from retrospective topics about the BSC to those that show how new technology and tools have changed how we measure and survey biodiversity.