Fall 2000 Vol. 19, No. 2
NEWSLETTER OF THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA (TERRESTRIAL ARTHROPODS)
Table of Contents
General Information and Editorial Notes ...... (inside front cover) News and Notes Grasslands conference at 2000 meeting ...... 35 Survey’s website expanding ...... 35 Biodiversity brief published...... 35 Spider newsletter published ...... 36 New cone and seed insect web site ...... 36 Nature Discovery Fund makes first award ...... 36 Summary of the Scientific Committee meeting ...... 37 Members of the Scientific Committee ...... 44 Comments on Error Rates in Insect Identifications...... 45 Project update: Insects of Keewatin and Mackenzie ...... 48 The Website of the Biological Survey...... 52 The Quiz Page...... 57 Recent Publications...... 58 Selected Future Conferences ...... 61 Answers to Faunal Quiz...... 62 Quips and Quotes ...... 63 Requests for Material or Information Invited ...... 64 Request for Cooperation (Form) ...... 65 General Information
The Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) appears twice yearly. All material without other accreditation is prepared by the Secretariat for the Biological Survey.
Editor: H.V. Danks Head, Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) Canadian Museum of Nature P.O. Box 3443, Station “D” Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4 TEL: 613-566-4787 FAX: 613-364-4021 E-mail: [email protected]
Queries, comments, and contributions to the Newsletter are welcomed by the editor. Deadline for material for the Spring 2001 issue is January 29, 2001.
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Editorial Notes The Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) develops and coordinates national initiatives in taxonomic and ecological entomology on behalf of the Canadian Museum of Nature (formerly the National Museum of Natural Sciences) and the Entomological Society of Canada. This Newsletter communicates information about systematic and faunistic entomology that may be of interest in Canada, and reports especially on activities relevant to the Biological Survey.
This newsletter will also be available soon on the Survey’s web site at: http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/esc.hp/bschome.htm Vol. 19, No. 2 35
News and Notes
Grasslands conference at 2000 Biodiversity brief published meeting he Biological Survey has just published a he joint annual meeting of the ESC / ESA / Tbrief entitled “Terrestrial arthropod TSEQ (Montreal, 2-7 December 2000) in- biodiversity projects - building a factual foun- cludes an informal conference about grassland dation”, intended to reinforce appropriate arthropods in support of the Biological Sur- guidelines for the study of arthropod vey’s active project on this subject. The pro- biodiversity, and including consideration of gram of the conference as currently constituted costs. is listed below. The abstract from the brief reads as follows: Introduction. T.A. Wheeler, McGill University, “Guidelines for conducting studies of ar- Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC thropod biodiversity properly are reinforced using results from selected recent studies in Canada. The From pasture to pens: the role of cattle in structuring costs for doing such work are also given explicitly. agroecosystems on the modern prairie. K.D. The necessary components of a biodiversity study, Floate, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and selected examples, are briefly tabulated for Lethbridge, AB ready reference. Careful advance planning should The use of fire as a biodiversity and conservation include explicit scientific objectives and ways to en- management tool in tallgrass prairies. R.E. sure that the work proceeds to completion. Work on Roughley and D.A. Pollock, University of Man- more than one taxon is necessary, because neither itoba,Winnipeg, MB patterns of species richness nor relevant ecosystem involvements can be extrapolated from one taxon to What, if anything, is a wheat stem maggot? Diver- another. Plans for identification, normally to spe- sity of Meromyza (Diptera: Chloropidae) in Ca- cies, are especially important, requiring specific nadian native grasslands. T.A. Wheeler, McGill collaboration with systematists. Protocols for sam- University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC pling, sorting, specimen preservation and data man- agement should be clearly defined and costed. Endemism and dispersal of short-horned bugs Curation and retention of specimens and ongoing (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in Pacific scientific and other publications are also essential if Northwest intermontane grasslands. K.G.A. projects are to have real long-term value. Examples Hamilton, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and references illustrate how these components can Ottawa, ON be developed. Proper support for studies of biodiversity, as opposed to superficial promotion of Project Update: ongoing studies on North Ameri- its importance, therefore requires mechanisms to can grassland arthropods provide stable long-term funding.” Round Table Discussion: progress and priorities for The brief is available in electronic for- research on North American grassland arthro- mat on the Survey’s web site at http://www.bi- pods. ology.ualberta.ca/esc.hp/bschome.htm. Paper copies are available from the Survey Secretariat Survey website expanding (see address on inside front cover). [Danks, H.V. and N.N. Winchester. 2000. he website of the Biological Survey of Can- Terrestrial arthropod biodiversity projects - ada (Terrestrial Arthropods) is being modi- T building a factual foundation. A brief from the fied and greatly expanded to include many pub- Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial lications and other materials in electronic form. Arthropods). Biological Survey of Canada There may be some disruptions in the site dur- Document Series No. 7, ISBN 0-9692727-9-0. ing this expansion. For further details, see page 38 pp.] 52. 36 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Spider Newsletter Published new annual newsletter about Canadian Aspiders and students of the group has been launched by editors David Shorthouse and Chris Buddle of the University of Alberta ([email protected]; [email protected]). The inaugural issue of the Canadian Arachnologist (May 2000) contains an account of current arachnologists in Canada as well as a variety of information about spiders. The aim of this freely distributed newsletter is “to pro- mote communication, initiate collaborative ef- forts, announce meetings of interest, and other arachnological activities among professional and amateur Canadian arachnologists.”
New cone and seed insect web site launched (http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/TIP/IIG/)
Columbia. Currently the site provides a listing, by tree species, of insects and other organisms of concern to conifer cone and seed production in British Columbia, general information on the conifer cone and seed industry and tree breed- ing in British Columbia, a section containing important information about cone and seed in- sect ecology and a search engine. The search engine yields revelant documents on the site that provide basic information about the species in question. The authors of the site are eager for feeback. Contact: Robb Bennett, Seed Pest taff at the Seed Pest Management section of Management Officer, BC Ministry of Forests, Sthe BC Ministry of Forests recently 7380 Puckle Road, Saanichton, BC, V8M 1W4. launched a new website related to insects af- Email: [email protected] fecting conifer and seed production in British
Nature Discovery Fund Makes First Award he Nature Discovery Fund of the Canadian versity of Agromyzidae (Diptera) in disjunct TMuseum of Nature, a fund developed to grasslands of the southern Yukon”. Ms. promote taxonomy in Canada and facilitate the Boucher has just completed an MSc. in Ento- discovery and naming of Canada’s biodiversity, mology at McGill University. Funding from has made its first award. NDF is pleased to an- NDF will go towards the publication of her the- nounce that Ms. Stephanie Boucher of the De- sis results. For further information about the partment of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill fund and for instructions on application proce- University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, is the first dures, please visit http://nature.ca/re- recipient of funding in support of her work “Di- search/ndfund/ndfund_e.cfm Vol. 19, No. 2 37
Summary of the meeting of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), April 2000 he Scientific Committee met in Ottawa on the joint ESC/ESA/SEQ meeting this year. This T13-14 April 2000. conference will expose the project and solicit ideas. Plans will also be made for a more formal Scientific Projects symposium at the ESC meeting in 2001. The various scientific projects of the Survey were discussed, including the following 2. Seasonal adaptations progress. Dr. Hugh Danks reported on papers on seasonal adaptations (Diversity and evolution 1. Grasslands of insect life cycles; Dehydration in dormant in- Dr. Joe Shorthouse reminded the Com- sects) published or in press. A section sympo- mittee that Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands sium is planned by Dr. Danks and Dr. Rick Lee is the Survey’s next major project and that a (Ohio) at the joint ESC/ ESA / SEQ meeting in subcommittee chaired by Drs. Kevin Floate and Montreal in December, entitled “Water rela- Terry Wheeler is steering the project. The tions and winter survival in insects”. The inter- grasslands project can look at the role of insects national insect and plant cold hardiness sympo- in both natural areas and those influenced by sium will take place in Victoria during human activities. A draft prospectus prepared May-June, including a treatment of “Insect cold by Dr. Shorthouse and Dr. Wheeler was distrib- hardiness in northern Canada”. Dr. Danks re- uted before the meeting, designed to be used in ported that specific cooperative work at the a variety of ways. University of Victoria is now proceeding in ear- Dr. Shorthouse described preliminary nest. attempts by him, Dr. Floate and Dr. Wheeler to 3. Insects of Keewatin and Mackenzie identify subjects for the next three products from the grasslands project. He hoped that this Dr. Doug Currie confirmed that an expe- attempt would encourage Committee members dition, which leaves on July 16, 2000, includes to identify other potential products and people five participants who will paddle 620 km down who might play a role in them. The Grasslands the Horton River from Horton Lake to the subcommittee planned to meet after the Scien- Beaufort Sea, collecting both aquatic and ter- tific Committee meeting and Dr. Shorthouse in- restrial insects along the way from this rela- vited other participants to join. Dr. Shorthouse tively unsampled area. If the project is success- reviewed various grassland types in habitats ful an expedition farther east will be considered across the country, as background for the pro- next season (e.g. Coppermine) and potentially ject. still farther east after that. A report of the expe- dition will be submitted for the Survey’s news- The nature of the prospectus and possi- letter. bilities of specific funding for the project were discussed at length. An initial prospectus would Other scientific priorities develop in detail the scientific purpose of the grasslands project, to characterize grassland ar- 1. Arthropod fauna of soils thropods from various scientific perspectives. A separate prospectus to seek specific funding Dr. Valerie Behan-Pelletier announced is also needed, and funding options would also that the 50th annual acarology summer program be considered by a working group of the grass- will be held this summer at Ohio State Univer- lands subcommittee. sity [see www.biosci.ohio-state.ed/~acarolog/sum- mer.htm]. Dr. Behan-Pelletier provided citations An informal conference on “Arthropods or circulated various books, publications and of grasslands - current status and future direc- other documents relevant to soil arthropod tions” organized by Dr. Wheeler will be held at 38 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) biodiversity. She outlined activities of various Dr. Steve Marshall emphasized his view relevant societies. The Soil Ecology Society, a that the invasive species issue is a good way to North American Society, has a new web site attract support for collections because the first [http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/ses/ses.html]. line of detection is through collections and their The XII International Colloquium on Soil Zool- continued addition to and care. Although a ogy will be held 14-18 August 2000 in the Czech monitoring program can be effective for a rela- Republic (see: http://www.jcu.cz/~upb/icsz.htm). tively narrow target group, the more general ap- The Acarological Society met last fall during proach of developing insect collections is the the ESA annual meeting. A symposium at the best way to detect unexpected new invaders. joint 2000 meeting, organized by Dr. Behan-Pelletier and Dr. Hans Klompen, is enti- 4. Endangered species tled “Soil mites: systematics, diversity and Dr. Marshall had recently joined the ecology in four dimensions”. Committee on Status of Species at Risk in On- Dr. Behan-Pelletier continues to collab- tario, where there appears to be much interest at orate in a number of projects studying mite di- the provincial level. versity and ecosystem function, e.g. the The Committee discussed the desirabil- Montane Alternative Silvicultural System ity of adding invertebrates to endangered spe- (MASS) project in British Columbia, the cies lists. For example, if invertebrates are con- tall-grass prairie in Konza, and the La Selva sidered for listing, funds should be available for project in Costa Rica. study, but once insects are put on endangered species lists entomologists may not be allowed 2. Old-growth forests to collect them for study. There is concern Discussions about organizing a sympo- about this issue in Quebec, Ontario and else- sium on old-growth forests to amalgamate the where. Moreover, the likelihood of being various work being done throughout the coun- wrong that a species is endangered is relatively try and determine if something original can be high because knowledge is limited and some produced are continuing. Dr. Geoff Scudder re- species of insects come and go in cycles. None- ported on some of his work in old-growth for- theless, listing species that are rare or have re- ests. stricted ranges provides a means to obtain pro- Dr. David Larson described a unique tection for their habitats, such as headwaters forest in Newfoundland that abuts on to Gros and springs. Morne National Park. It consists of old fir trees 5. Survey web site of a variety of ages, apparently without records of past fire or insect kills. The forest seems to be Dr. Danks reported that despite some replacing itself through individual tree senes- difficulties, work on the Survey’s revised cence. A pulp company’s plan to log this area website has continued, and the new draft site is has been challenged, apparently the first time substantially changed and expanded from the that this has happened in Newfoundland. older one. For example, English and French are now entirely separate, the layout and lettering 3. Invasions and reductions have been redesigned and there are additional Dr. Scudder and Dr. Bob Foottit are con- images. The site will include a home page, a site sidering a book of edited contributions on ar- map, links to selected relevant web sites, and a thropod bioinvasions, to look not only at sci- variety of general information about the Survey ence issues but also at societal issues, such as including more information about Scientific data handling, quarantine legislation and proce- Committee members. An internal search capa- dure. There is wide interest in this topic in a bility is being added. Newsletters will be avail- number of agencies. able in electronic form, as will all the Survey briefs. Selected scientific publications, notably the books Insect Dormancy and Insects of the Vol. 19, No. 2 39
Yukon will be posted. Another new feature will final draft of the brief will be prepared before be an interactive searchable database of person- the October meeting of the Committee. nel, based on updated records for the Survey’s Annotated List of Workers. The grasslands pro- 9. Brief on the value of proper biodiversity ject will be highlighted as a scientific project. studies Finally, information about the Survey’s project The late draft of a brief entitled “Terres- on faunal analysis and availability of expertise trial arthropod biodiversity projects – building a will be provided. factual foundation” was well received by the Dr. Danks added that the site will con- Committee, and with a few adjustments will go tinue to reside on the University of Alberta forward for publication by the Survey [see p. server through cooperation with the Entomo- 35]. logical Society of Canada. It had been hoped that the Survey’s site could be organized as a 10. Monitoring of continuing priorities for smaller hub on the CMN’s web site with larger work on Canadian faunas amounts of data remaining on the University of Updated information on earlier or cur- Alberta server, but the Museum is not yet in a rently less active Survey projects was reviewed, position to provide this service. including arthropods of peatlands, aquatic in- sects of freshwater wetlands, arthropod fauna 6. Funding for biodiversity projects of springs, arthropod ectoparasites of verte- Dr. Wheeler reported that the first sec- brates, arthropods of the Yukon, mountain fau- tion of this brief, consisting of tips on preparing nas, arthropods of the Queen Charlotte Islands grant applications, has been revised. Additional (Haida Gwaii), climatic change, and entries as to sources of funding are also avail- agroecosystems. able. The core data will be on the McGill Uni- Specific work on the insects of New- versity site, with the introductory material and a foundland is also in progress. Dr. Larson re- link on the revised Survey website. ported that he is assembling literature records for all insect species that have been recorded in 7. Error rates in identifications Newfoundland, as well as a survey of what is Dr. Marshall reminded the Committee held in local collections. Some identification that there is a lack of quantitative data about this keys are being developed. In due course, it is issue. He had drafted an article which takes a hoped to document the fauna and to have keys general approach to looking at factors affecting to all the taxa on the islands by developing the error rates, such as the availability of reference study further. collections, intrinsic difficulties of different keys, availability of regional works, experience 11. Other priorities and innate ability of identifiers. The article also The Committee also discussed other sci- makes a few recommendations which should be entific priorities such as damaged ecosystems, useful to people planning projects. The article faunal analysis, and Survey publicity. will be submitted to the Biological Survey Newsletter. Liaison and exchange of information
8. Brief on geographic data standards for 1. Canadian Museum of Nature specimen labels Dr. Joanne DiCosimo, President, Cana- Dr. Wheeler reported that a draft of this dian Museum of Nature, reported that much of brief is almost complete. The brief will include the Museum’s energy is now being focussed on both general guidelines and standards, and spe- the refit and renewal of the Museum’s public cific information of practical use, such as sup- display building, the Victoria Memorial Mu- pliers, source numbers, and printer settings. A seum Building in Ottawa. This will be a $54-million program of which $43 million will 40 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
be spent on necessary infrastructure repairs. (CHIN) the Museum is putting together a sur- Provided Treasury Board funding is commit- vey to solicit information from all natural his- ted, the Museum will launch a private-sector tory museums about what research they do or campaign focussed on gallery development and support in Canada. visitor amenities. The private sector campaign The Federal Biosystematics Partnership will include a fund to support the automation of is developing a position for Canada relating to the collections records, support for the Cana- the Global Biodiversity Information Facility dian Centre for Biodiversity and three gallery (GBIF). This new international initiative aims projects on fossils, oceans and human biology to coordinate systematics and informatics activ- and physiology. ities around the world. The next major exhibition, to be opened Dr. Graham also noted the Macmillan on June 14, is an exhibit of Dr. Roberta Coastal Biodiversity Workshop (Bamfield Ma- Bondar’s photographs of Canada’s 41 national rine Station), a report on Building Excellence in parks. In September an exhibit called Animal Science and Technology: The Federal Roles in Athletes coincides with the Olympics and high- Performing Science and Technology lights the remarkable physical achievements (http://csta-cest.gc.ca/csta/website/publica- and attributes of animals. tions_e.html), Environment Canada’s effort to The Museum’s web site (www.na- prioritize biodiversity issues under their Cana- ture.ca) is undergoing a redesign and the re- dian northern ecosystems initiative, and the vised site will be launched on May 10; traffic Biota of Canada information network work- has increased about 800% on the CMN web site shop. over the last five months. The national muse- ums, including the CMN, will be hosting a 2. Biological Resources Program, ECORC meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Com- Dr. Ian Smith reported on behalf of Dr. mittee on Canadian Heritage on International Jean-Marc Deschênes, Director, ECORC. The Museums Day, May 18, with a theme of the role core of a proposal to renovate and retrofit the of the national museums of Canada. Neatby Building, to become a first-class collec- Ms. DiCosimo concluded by noting that tion facility for entomology, botany and mycol- the Museum is reviewing its strategic plan es- ogy, should be completed soon for submission tablished three years ago, and a collections de- to Treasury Board. velopment plan is also being formulated over Dr. Smith reported that he and Dr. the next 8-12 months. Consultations are Deschênes have attended the meetings of the in- planned with other museums, universities and terim steering committee for the Global government agencies. Biodiversity Information Facility on behalf of Dr. Mark Graham, Director, Research the Federal Biosystematics Partnership. Impor- Services, reported that NSERC has agreed to tant decisions have to be made regarding finan- lead a workshop (June 2-3 in Ottawa) to iden- cial commitments at the government level. At tify issues and consider best practices for grant- the next meeting of the interim steering com- ing agencies with respect to issues surrounding mittee, probably near the end of this year, it collections that go into museums. should be clear whether GBIF will have enough committed members to become operational and Dr. Graham described how, with the Ca- whether or not Canada would join. nadian Museums Association, the Museum is trying to find a way to emphasize the impor- Dr. Smith and Mr. Larry Speers are in- tance of museums in doing natural history re- volved in the steering committee for the North search. Currently there is no easy way to use the American Biodiversity Information Network, a information for various purposes (lobbying, group set up under the Commission for Envi- student research, general public, etc.). With the ronmental Cooperation (CEC) under NAFTA. Canadian Heritage Information Network Canada might become more involved in this Vol. 19, No. 2 41
North American bioinformatics initiative. tee about the joint meeting of the Within that context the base for the Integrated ESC/SEQ/ESA in Montreal in December. Dr. Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is being Johnson reported that he had attended a meeting broadened with Mexico as a full partner. of the American Institute of Biological Sci- ences (AIBS) in November. The Entomological Dr. Smith and Mr. Speers have been th leading a working group to form a Biota of Can- Society of Canada has joined as the 60 society ada information network. A report of the March member, the only Canadian organization to do workshop referred to by Dr. Graham will in- so. Dr. Johnson mentioned another meeting he clude a costed workplan, involving a variety of had attended last week (a tribute to Ernst Mayr) partnerships, to improve the Canadian content that included many notable speakers. Dr. John- of ITIS and to demonstrate the applications of son also noted the Diversitas International digitized collections data. Biodiversity Observation Year 2001-2002 (http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/IBOY/), a re- Dr. Smith and Mr. Speers have also been view of how Agriculture and Agri-Food Can- promoting the idea of a national conference on ada programs in Lethbridge link to the recently biodiversity science and bioinformatics in order introduced Species at Risk legislation, and the to develop an action plan for Canada. A broadly forthcoming Executive Council meeting of the based steering committee is being formed to ESC. promote a national conference early in 2001; Dr. Peter Hall (former executive director of the 4. Canadian Forest Service Canadian Environmental Network) has been Dr. John Huber, on behalf of Dr. Ben appointed as conference manager. A potential Moody, reported from the Canadian Forest Ser- biodiversity strategy document would be circu- vice. As part of the Federal Biosystematics lated in draft before the conference. Dr. Partnership, Forestry was asked to produce a Scudder circulated a document from the document on biosystematics and Biodiversity Science Board, released at the bioinformatics needs in Forestry. This draft was EMAN national science meeting in January. It released in January to the FBP: a portion of the is a commentary entitled “The Biodiversity Sci- report deals with problems of informatics, such ence Problem in Canada: An Unrecognized Cri- as databasing collections. The document also sis”. It has been widely circulated to societies itemized the kinds of taxonomists that the Ser- and politicians and the information used to pro- vice needs. The document is intended to be one mote the national conference. part of a larger document to be published by the Dr. Foottit reported that discussions will FBP. Dr. Huber reported that Dr. Ole soon begin about renewal of the scientific Hendrickson has been seconded from the Cana- workforce at ECORC. A number of current dian Forest Service to Environment Canada for staff are approaching retirement age and there is two years. also a concern about lack of resources to curate the collections. Dr. John Huber pointed out that 5. Canadian Wildlife Service / COSEWIC the average age of the scientists at ECORC is Dr. Theresa Fowler, CWS, reminded the 53; the average age of the technical staff is 48. Committee that Bill C33, the Species at Risk Dr. Smith reported that a server is being Act, has been tabled. Copies of the Act and ac- set up at ECORC to provide digital information companying kits were made available. Dr. on the Canadian National Collection and other Fowler pointed out that this legislation is one digital information such as the butterflies of component of the national program to deal with Canada project. endangered species; the others are the national accord signed by all the provinces and territo- 3. Entomological Society of Canada ries except Quebec, and the stewardship pro- Dr. Dan Johnson, President, Entomolog- gram. The stewardship program is intended to ical Society of Canada, reminded the Commit- save habitat through voluntary cooperation. 42 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
The endangered species bill is being criticized nerships with aboriginal people, and wilderness ar- as being too tough by some and as too weak by eas should be set aside this year in Yoho, Kootenay others. and Jasper national parks. Other initiatives include Dr. Fowler reported that none of the spe- the development of a national science strategy with cies listed by COSEWIC to date will be offi- more connections with universities and other sci- cially considered for listing under the bill until ence-based agencies, national staff training and ori- they have been reassessed by COSEWIC using entation on ecological integrity, and the prohibition new criteria. The COSEWIC Secretariat, of new ski hills and golf courses in national parks. A housed at Environment Canada, now has more national advisory committee will be established to human resources. A meeting of COSEWIC in monitor the implementation of the report. May will concentrate on reassessments using Members of the Committee discussed the new criteria, which are based largely on the extensively the Survey’s initiatives a few years IUCN criteria. Under the new legislation ago concerning studies of insect diversity in na- COSEWIC produces a list of assessments, tional parks and concerning permit procedures which are made public, and the species at risk for insect collecting in national parks. Also, a and recovery plans are then determined by poli- number of parks with grasslands are now espe- ticians. Dr. Fowler said that 34 new or updated cially relevant for the Survey’s grasslands pro- status reports are available but these will be ject. Mr. Greffard had not heard of these initia- considered at the May meeting only if all the re- tives, but confirmed that he would be willing to assessments are completed. Unfinished busi- initiate discussions, and as a first step informa- ness will be postponed to a second meeting in tion about the earlier initiatives would be sent to the fall. Mr. Greffard by the Survey Secretariat.
6. Ecological Monitoring and Assessment 8. Parasitology module, Canadian Society of Network (EMAN) Zoologists Dr. Peter Hall, Partnerships Coordina- Dr. David Marcogliese, Parasitology tor, Environment Canada, reported that EMAN module, reported that work on the EMAN pro- has re-established the interdepartmental com- tocols for the inventory and survey of parasites mittee on monitoring and assessment. EMAN is continues (see www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/re- continuing to develop its core variables for eco- search/protocols/99_frespara/). The national system monitoring. This spring a collaborative stickleback parasite survey is an official IBOY pollution gradient study with the Canadian For- project. est Service will look at forest conditions to de- The Canadian Society of Zoologists an- termine the applicability of the core variables in nual meeting is May 2-6 in St. Andrews, New a field setting. The vegetation monitoring pro- Brunswick. The meeting includes a symposium tocols are being distributed to a variety of organized by Dr. Marcogliese called “Life in groups. A strategy document about the EMAN the middle of the food web - larval parasites in early warning system is being written. small fish”. The CSZ meeting in 2001 will be held in Sudbury. 7. Parks Canada Dr. Marcogliese circulated a number of Mr. Stéphane Greffard, Ecological Assess- publications on parasites, and other information ment Officer, highlighted the recent release of the relevant to the diversity of invertebrates and its report from the panel on ecological integrity, which study. He noted that Fisheries and Oceans Can- analyzed the capacity of Parks Canada to conserve ada is hiring a parasitologist in Nanaimo, re- ecological integrity in Canada’s national parks (see placing Dr. Mike Kent. http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/EI-IE/index_e.html). Several commitments were made as a result. For ex- ample, ecological integrity should be the centre- piece of future decisions, there should be more part- Vol. 19, No. 2 43
Secretariat activities of the collection into a new building. Proposals Ongoing operations of the Biological for two millennium chairs at UBC (in Survey Secretariat were reviewed, including biosystematics and conservation biology) from clearing-house and coordination roles, research the Biodiversity Centre are advancing. Forest and other items, and Dr. Danks’ travels to ento- Renewal British Columbia (FRBC) funding is mological centres on behalf of the Survey to ex- becoming difficult to obtain and tight deadlines change information about relevant work. In are being imposed. 1999, visits were made to Victoria BC; Edmon- For the prairies, Dr. Floate reported that ton and Lethbridge AB, Saskatoon SK, Winni- the planned expansion of the research centre at peg MB, Hull QC, Fredericton NB, Halifax NS Lethbridge is now officially set to go ahead and and Charlottetown PEI. Seminars and lectures work should begin in June or July 2000. An out- presented, in addition to more-or-less informal break of the cabbage seed pod weevil is antici- treatments of the Biological Survey, included: pated this year. Dr. Rob Roughley is consider- Winter habitats and ecological adaptations for ing the feasibility of building an insect record winter survival; Diversity and evolution of in- catalogue from Aweme, MB. A study is in sect life cycles; Are the life cycles of polar ar- progress on the impacts of grazing intensity on thropods flexible or programmed?; Arctic in- vegetation structure and insect communities in sects as indicators of environmental change; In- the Onefour area of southeast Alberta. Other trinsic elements of insect diapause; and Insect studies on birds and insects, and grasshopper biodiversity: some current themes and require- and spider species sampling, were noted. Sev- ments. Lectures were also presented in Japan on eral studies dealing with the effects of fire, in- the fauna and flora of Canada, Canada and its cluding spiders of Manitoba tall-grass prairie, insect fauna, the control of insect dormancy, and other studies in Alberta and B.C. (as well as and the diversity of dormancy responses in in- Ontario) were noted. sects. In Ontario, Dr. Currie reported that the Other items Royal Ontario Museum is going through a mas- 1. Regional developments ter planning process, at the same time as a search for a new director. Student work on vari- Members of the Committee summarized ous systematics projects is ongoing there. Dr. information from different regions of the coun- Marshall reported survey work on the Bruce try. For example, in British Columbia, Dr. Peninsula, and a long-term inventory continues Scudder reported that the Hemiptera catalogue in Point Pelee. He also continues work in the is now in press (NRC Press). He is in the last Ojibway prairie. As of last November the year of a five-year grant to work on databasing Guelph collection has a full-time professional and documenting sensitive species. The B.C. curator, and as a result the level of curation of identified wildlife strategy may be of use to the Guelph collection has improved greatly. A have habitat protected. Restoration research project on handbooks to easily identifiable On- and study in Osoyoos continues. A meeting of tario insects was briefly discussed and will be the Grasslands Conservation Council is sched- considered in more detail at the next meeting. uled in the Okanagan Valley in May to high- Dr. Bob Anderson reported on the CMN’s Na- light the idea of biodiversity ranching. At the ture Discovery Fund which has made its first same time, the Environment Minister will an- award [see p. 36]. nounce a new project for conservation planning in the south Okanagan. The University of Brit- In Quebec, Dr. Wheeler reported that ish Columbia collections still have no support Dr. Mike Sanborne, formerly of the Lyman Mu- but a fundraising initiative is being developed seum and a former member of the Committee, for the biodiversity centre which will include died last summer. Planning for the joint support for the collection including ESA/ESC/SEQ meeting continues. The SEQ post-doctoral fellows, curators, and relocation had its annual meeting in Hull last October; the 44 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
theme was biodiversity. Dr. Wheeler described lantic Dragonfly inventory group is meeting in various large-scale diversity projects in Que- August in southern Nova Scotia. Dr. Giberson bec, including forest survey work (especially is completing her 10-year project on the post-ice-storm) and insect and plant diversity benthos of Cataran Brook, in central New along highway margins. A Canada Foundation Brunswick. As of January 1, 2000 the Univer- for Innovation grant has resulted in renovations sity of Prince Edward Island has a graduate pro- and additions to McGill field stations, a new gram and there are now four graduate students GIS server, software and workstations, new in- in biology with the hope of more starting in sect cabinets and drawers. Databasing of the September. There is a shortage of honey bees in Orthoptera holdings continues for the Biota of parts of the Maritimes, especially on PEI, with Canada project. Several students are working implications particularly for blueberry produc- on the systematics of Diptera. Dr. George ers. The Acadian Entomological Society meets Hsiung, the Lyman Museum curator, is retiring in Charlottetown this summer. after 30 years, and will be replaced by someone at the Msc. level. 2. Other matters For Newfoundland and the Maritimes, The Committee also considered recent Dr. Larson reported that at Memorial Univer- Survey publications, especially the revived sity, Dr. Murray Colbo is doing a mosquito sur- Grasslands newsletter, the annual report to the vey as part of a West Nile encephalitis study Canadian Museum of Nature, a letter sent after and Dr. Roger Pickervance continues his study the last meeting to the Editor of The Canadian on the spiders of Newfoundland. Only a few Entomologist concerning systematics papers, graduate students are doing insect-related work. liaisons with organizations outside Canada and The Newfoundland insectarium has been open information on further publications of various for over a year and has been well received by sorts. The Annual General Meeting of members the public and the media. A paper was pub- of the Biological Survey Foundation also took lished recently about the beetles of Brunette Is- place. land. Dr. Donna Giberson reported that the At-
Members of the Scientific Committee
Dr. R.S. Anderson Dr. D.J. Giberson Dr. J.D. Shorthouse (Chair) Ottawa, ON Charlottetown, PEI Sudbury, ON Dr. V.M. Behan-Pelletier Dr. M. Graham (CMN) Dr. I.M. Smith (ECORC) Ottawa, ON Ottawa, ON Ottawa, ON Dr. D.C. Currie Dr. D.L. Johnson (ESC) Dr. T.A. Wheeler Toronto, ON Lethbridge, AB Ste.-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Dr. J.-M. Deschênes, Director, Dr. D.J. Larson Dr. D.A. Wrubleski ECORC St. Johns, NF Stonewall, MB Ottawa, ON Dr. S.A. Marshall Honorary / Founding Ms. J. DiCosimo, President, Guelph, ON Members: Canadian Museum of Nature Dr. R.A. Ring Ottawa, ON Dr. G.E. Ball Victoria, BC Edmonton, AB Dr. K.D. Floate Dr. R.E. Roughley Lethbridge, AB Mr. J.A. Downes Winnipeg, MB Ottawa, ON Dr. R.G. Foottit Dr. G.G.E. Scudder Ottawa, ON Vancouver, BC Vol. 19, No. 2 45
Comments on error rates in insect identifications
Steve Marshall Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 [email protected] n recent years there has been growing appre- pest a decade later. These misidentifications of Iciation of the pressing need to document relatively large, economically important insects Canada’s biodiversity. Surveys of terrestrial in well-known groups are important in them- arthropods have been launched by national and selves, but they also point to the probability of provincial parks, federal and provincial depart- large numbers of misidentifications going un- ments concerned with ecosystem integrity (e.g. recognized in the long lists of species which are Canadian Forest Service, Fisheries and at the heart of ongoing biodiversity studies. Oceans, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, The proliferation of species lists based Environment Canada, provincial resource min- on identifications by non-specialists is an inevi- istries etc.), non-governmental organisations, table result of the taxonomic impediment im- and individual researchers. Inventory work is posed by Canada’s shrunken pool of profes- generally carried out over the short term, with sional systematists. It is important that agencies results closely tied to lists of species collected involved with the planning of biodiversity work and identified during the project. Identifica- be aware of the magnitude of error rates under tions might be done by a single individual, a different sets of circumstances, and make group, or by a network of cooperating systema- long-term plans to mitigate the effect of identifi- tists; surveys might cover one or a few taxa cation errors. (butterflies or ground beetles, for example), or might try to do the most complete stock-taking Ideally, specimens collected during re- possible in a given protected area. gional surveys would be carefully prepared (us- ing the guidelines in earlier briefs from the Bio- Previous briefs by the Biological Sur- logical Survey of Canada), competently sorted vey of Canada have addressed general issues of to family, then sent to taxonomic specialists sampling and sample processing, but have not with ready access to a national insect collection. examined the problem of error rates in identifi- Determinations would be assembled into an au- cation. It is widely appreciated that misidentifi- thoritative species list followed by collaborative cations of potential pests can have serious eco- efforts to database the records, interpret patterns nomic implications, as demonstrated by recent, from the accumulated determinations, and to cu- widely publicized incidents in which rate the material for future study and reference. long-horned wood boring beetles were mis- This rosy scenario is being played out to some identified. In one case, a collector misidenti- degree thanks to the willingness of a few key fied a native species as an exotic species that is systematists to identify good material in their ar- not established in Canada but represents a seri- eas of interest, but the onus is increasingly on ous threat to the forest industry. The misidenti- the individuals doing the survey work to handle fication was perpetuated by the electronic me- their own identifications. We can assume that dia, and only after considerable effort was the identifications of sawflies done by a taxonomist error corrected. In another case, a recently in- specialising in sawflies will be correct, but what troduced long-horned beetle was misidentified about the growing majority of identifications as a native species, an error that was not recog- that now must be done by non-specialists? What nised until the new introduction emerged as a is the error rate? 46 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Assessing Error Rates The quality of published keys varies Some idea of the general error rate in from almost foolproof to almost useless. Some identifications by experienced undergraduate keys are badly written or just don’t work, but in biology students can be garnered by looking at most cases differences between keys reflect in- the performance of students in advanced ento- trinsic differences in the taxonomy of different mology courses with a collection/identification groups. For example, good keys to fly genera of requirement, such as the fourth year insect sys- North America are readily available in the Man- tematics course at University of Guelph. Stu- ual of Nearctic Diptera (McAlpine, 1981, 1987) dents in this course make insect collections dur- and keys to all beetle species of northeastern ing the summer, then spend their laboratory pe- North America are available in Downie and riods during the fall semester identifying the Arnett (1996). Each book has “easy” keys specimens in their collections plus supplemen- (quick to use, low error rate) and “difficult” tal material. Students have to identify all insects keys (very time-consuming, high error rate). to at least the family level, and they are ex- For example, the key to Coccinellidae in The pected to develop a practical efficiency in using Beetles of Northeastern North America is the excellent family keys in a standard text- within the reach of a beginning student, but I book. Open book tests early in the course show find the key to Cerambycidae to be consider- that students inexperienced in keying have an ably more difficult. The Cerambycidae of error rate of over 50%, and even at the end of northeastern North America, however, are eas- the course there is a significant error rate in key- ily identified to species using a recent photo- ing to the family level. graphic identification guide (Yanega, 1996). This illustrates an obvious, but often Error rates go down, and identification overlooked, point of importance when consid- efficiency goes up, when richly illustrated re- ering the problem of error rates in survey work. gional guides are available. This applies even to Keys are tools that require training and experi- relatively easily identified groups such as tiger ence for proficient use; the first time someone beetles. For example, it takes considerable ex- uses an unfamiliar tool the results are likely to perience to correctly identify Ontario tiger bee- be poor. Identification of insects usually de- tles using a key written for the entire country, pends on key use, and error rates will depend on but it is easy to identify an Ontario tiger beetle the quality of the key, the intrinsic difficulty of from a set of photographs and notes restricted to the key, the experience of the user, and the key the relatively small provincial fauna. Even user’s opportunity to check and confirm the re- those groups that lend themselves to richly il- sults. These are all difficult things to quantify, lustrated guides, however, are prone to signifi- but it is still worthwhile to consider how each cant error rates if the guides are used without factor might influence error rates and how this appropriate skills. A well-known case in point information should affect studies of is provided by the recent CNF (Canadian Na- biodiversity. ture Federation) survey of Lady Beetles of Can- ada, in which the number of obvious misidenti- 1) Availability of, and differences between, fications submitted by amateurs (combined keys with the absence of voucher specimens or pho- Many taxa are virtually unidentifiable tographs) compromised the results of the sur- because of the complete lack of keys; in other vey. cases the keys are scattered throughout the liter- It must be remembered, then, that even ature and are of varying quality. In many cases for those taxa for which keys are available (and there are no keys because the taxa involved still species-level keys are not available for many require revision and species, or even genera, re- taxa), keys differ widely in intrinsic difficulty, main undescribed or at least ill-defined. quality, and scope. These differences alone make it impossible to quantify an overall error rate in general insect survey work. Vol. 19, No. 2 47
2) Differences in skill level and level of approach is to key out a specimen, compare it to experience a reference collection, re-key the specimen if it A certain level of training and experi- does not match up, and repeat the process until a ence is necessary to develop skills in identifica- good match is made between a reference speci- tion and, all other things being equal, a univer- men and the specimen in hand. Error rates on sity student who has had a fourth-year course in the first pass (identification attempts made insect classification, as well as other entomol- without recourse to a reference collection) often ogy courses, will be better qualified to under- are very high. Of course, the same need to con- take inventory work than a student lacking such firm identifications can be met in some groups training. Of course, all other things are never by reference to good collections of photo- equal, and individuals vary widely in their taxo- graphs, and in some groups experts are avail- nomic abilities. Of the hundreds of students able and willing to check over determinations (with similar experience and training) who have by colleagues and students. In general, how- worked with the University of Guelph Insect ever, a well-identified regional reference col- Collection, dozens have been “gifted” taxono- lection is needed to reduce error rates in generic mists who made few identification errors, or specific keying to an acceptable level. whereas others developed only limited identifi- cation skills. Conclusions Academic qualifications are not the only While the many variables discussed predictor of an individual’s ability to correctly above preclude general statements like “er- identify insects. An individual with the right ror-rate in species identifications by non spe- combination of experience, enthusiasm, energy cialists exceed 50%”, it is worthwhile to em- and innate ability, can make considerable prog- phasize that a very high error rate is likely to re- ress on a regional inventory in a single season, sult when either good reference collections or while an otherwise highly qualified individual collaborating specialists are absent. Errors are without good identification abilities can waste a not necessarily a serious problem in a survey in lot of time (and precious resources) making which all specimens are databased and housed very little progress. Agencies and organisations in a permanent insect collection, because they who hire personnel lacking the requisite qualifi- can be checked and corrected at a later date. In cations to undertake inventory work would be considering the interim results of survey and in- well advised to treat the expenditure on salaries ventory work, the abilities and experience of as money invested in training, not in the genera- the identifier must be considered along with the tion of useful results. level of difficulty and quality of available keys and associated resources for each individual 3) Availability of reference collections taxon for the area under study. The most important factor influencing error rate is the availability of well-identified reference collections. Although photographic guides and well-illustrated regional keys are available for increasing numbers of insect groups, in the vast majority of instances the only available identification tools are keys of varying levels of quality. Most keys have am- biguous or difficult couplets, and the diagnosis of the terminal taxon is rarely explicit enough for the user to confidently confirm the determi- nation. Well-identified regional reference col- lections are essential for this purpose, and can greatly reduce identification error. A common 48 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Insects of Keewatin and Mackenzie
Douglas C. Currie1, Donna Giberson2, and Brian V. Brown3 1Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6 – [email protected] 2Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PEI C1A 4P3 - [email protected] 3Entomology Section, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, U.S.A. - [email protected] Introduction he Canadian north remains among the most With completion of the Insects of the Tinadequately surveyed areas in North Yukon book, it seems appropriate to direct at- America in terms of its insect fauna. During the tention towards the inadequately surveyed terri- late 1940’s and early 1950’s the Departments of tory between the Mackenzie River and Hudson Agriculture and National Defence collaborated Bay. This area, which constitutes mainland on a project called The Northern Insect Survey. Northwest Territories and Nunavut, corre- Although the resulting collections provided sponds with the Districts of Mackenzie and valuable insights about insect diversity in the Keewatin. Scientific Committee members far north, relatively few sites were sampled and Doug Currie (Royal Ontario Museum and Uni- material collected is unsuitable for modern versity of Toronto) and Donna Giberson (Uni- analysis (e.g., cytology, DNA sequence data). versity of Prince Edward Island) are leading a Problems associated with lack of access and in- multiyear initiative to survey representative ar- frastructure continue to hinder efforts to docu- eas throughout the region. Given the short col- ment insect diversity in much of northern Can- lecting season and logistical constraints, the fo- ada. cus of the survey reflects the interests of partici- Vol. 19, No. 2 49 pating scientists. However, mass collecting acidic, reducing the pH of the Horton River to techniques (e.g., Malaise traps, sweep netting, 6.5-7.5. aquatic kick sampling) provide representatives of many ‘non-target’ organisms. The survey is The 2000 Horton River Expedition expected to generate valuable new insights The process of obtaining a Scientific Re- about the diversity and biogeography of north- search Licence proved to be exceedingly cum- ern insects, as well as to provide information bersome and time consuming. Because our pro- about energetics and food web dynamics. posal involved two different first nations settle- ment regions, approval was needed from both The Horton River Sahtu and Inuvialuit authorities (i.e., various The Horton River was selected as the Hunters and Trappers Associations and Renew- venue for the first year of the project because of able Resources Councils within the two its close proximity to the eastern boundary of regions). The NWT Environmental Impact Beringia. It is situated mainly within the North- Screening Committee then reviewed our pro- ern Interior Plain region of the Mackenzie Low- posal, taking into consideration the views and lands and is characterized by hilly topography comments of various stakeholders. Finally, a marked with numerous lakes and small streams. Land Use Permit from the Inuvialuit Land Ad- Originating north of Great Bear Lake, the river ministration was needed before a licence could flows in a northwesterly direction for approxi- be issued. It arrived in the mail less than a week mately 700 km before emptying into Franklin before departure. Bay on the Beaufort Sea. There are no settle- Our team of 5 entomologists convened ments along the Horton River and even the Inuit in Norman Wells on July 17. Doug Currie and of Paulatuk (situated some 100 km east on the Donna Giberson were joined by Peter Adler arctic coast) rarely travel that far. The water is (Clemson University), Brian Brown (Natural clear in the upper reaches and flows over lime- History Museum of Los Angeles), and stone-dominated sedimentary rock through a Malcolm Butler (North Dakota State series of cobble riffles and long deep pools. The University). The five of us, along with our water here is characterised by generally high guide Tim Gfeller (Wilderness Adventure pH (8.0-8.5) and low conductivity (160-200 Company), boarded a chartered Twin Otter for F s/cm). The surrounding vegetation consists of the hour and a half flight to Horton Lake. We sedge- and shrub tundra with scattered black carried all our gear and enough food to support spruce. Spruce, willow and alder are confined our expedition for one month. Given the ab- mainly to the valley and south-facing slopes. sence of roads and the high cost of air transpor- Approximately 180 km downstream of Horton tation, our plan was to travel 620 km by canoe Lake the river enters an area with sheer lime- from Horton Lake to the Beaufort Sea. Al- stone cliffs; and over the next 150 km it flows though strenuous, this approach gave us access through a series of three canyons, each charac- to a wide variety of microhabitats along the terised by deep bedrock pools and whitewater way. The route also provided a south-to-north rapids. Following the canyon section the geol- transect from the High Subarctic Ecoclimatic ogy changes and the surrounding landscape is Region to the Low Arctic Ecoclimatic Region. characterised by eroding hillsides and muddy Although insects were the focus of our tributaries, which significantly increase the tur- expedition the Horton River proved equally fa- bidity of the river. The final 100 km of the Hor- vourable for viewing wildlife. Numerous spe- ton River passes through sparsely vegetated cies of birds were observed including Arctic badlands dominated by vast deposits of lignite loon, ptarmigan, peregrine and gyrfalcons, bald and sulphur. Lignite spontaneously combusts and golden eagles, mergansers, scoters, plo- when exposed to oxygen and the area is aptly vers, and jaegers, to name a few. Hundreds of named the Smoking Hills. Tributaries in the caribou were also seen throughout the journey, Smoking Hills are muddy and typically highly 50 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) along with occasional sightings of muskoxen, Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae) moose, fox, wolf, and grizzly bear. Arctic Mac Butler focused on lentic grayling, lake trout and burbot ‘collected’ from Chironomidae, especially Chironomus. This the Horton River were welcome additions to genus is well-studied cytogenetically, and our larder. karyotypes are necessary to confirm identifica- Twenty four days were needed to travel tion of most species. In collaboration with an the entire length of the river with only 2 days of international group of colleagues, he has re- respite from paddling. The weather ranged cently been investigating biogeographic pat- from stifling heat (30°C+) during the first part terns of genetic variation of Chironomus from of the trip to uncomfortably cool (4°C) towards Europe, Siberia, and North America. Twenty the end. On August 9 a chartered Twin Otter re- lentic habitats were sampled along the 620 km trieved us from a gravel bar near Franklin Bay route: ten pools or ponds (<1m depth), and a and flew us to Inuvik. like number of small lakes. Chironomus larvae were found in eight of these sites, and pupal Preliminary results exuviae only were collected from an additional lake. A number of other lentic Chironomidae Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) larvae were collected as well, primarily Doug Currie and Peter Adler made col- Tanypodinae and Tanytarsini. Chironomus was lections at 52 sites along the Horton River and quite rare in shallow habitats south of the its tributaries. Immature stages were collected coastal tundra, but larvae were found in all three from watercourses that ranged in width from a ponds sampled in the Smoking Hills. All few centimetres to more than 100 metres. Chironomus larvae were fixed for karyotype Larvae were collected mainly into Carnoy’s analysis, but the material has not yet been ex- fixative to facilitate cytological study; selected amined. It is estimated that at least half a dozen larvae and adults were fixed in 95% ethanol to species will be present, perhaps more. In many facilitate molecular analysis. Adults were col- cases only a few larvae were collected at each lected through a combination of Malaise trap- site, and not all specimens are likely to provide ping, aspirating from team members and the in- good-quality karyotypes. Material collected at sides of tents, and rearing of pupae. Identifica- three sites may be sufficient for characterizing tion at the morphospecies level revealed a total populations in terms of prevailing inversion fre- of 18 taxa in 3 genera: Simulium, Metacnephia, quencies, and hopefully to make comparisons and Cnephia. Although the actual number of with populations from other parts of the species will undoubtedly be higher following Holarctic Region. Nonetheless, the simple cytological screening, it is clear that the knowledge of what cytologically-defined spe- simuliid fauna is depauperate relative to that of cies live in this part of the Arctic is a sufficient similar drainages in Alaska and the Yukon Ter- outcome from the expedition. ritory. This probably reflects, in part, the short Phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) period that the Horton River and its valley has been deglaciated. Interestingly, the Horton Phorid flies were collected using mostly drainage includes species that are sparsely rep- Malaise traps. A total of 28 Malaise trap sam- resented or absent from Beringia. The ples were collected, most of which were over- biogeographical implications of this pattern are night samples; a few traps were left up for two a focus of study. Larvae are currently being days worth of collecting. The samples vary studied chromosomally by Peter Adler. Doug widely in the number of insects they contain, Currie is curating the adults and his University due mostly to variation in the weather: warm of Toronto graduate student, Miranda Smith, is sunny days produced large diverse catches analysing molecular sequence data from se- whereas cold overcast days led to sparse collec- lected species. tions. The higher flies (Brachycera) are being removed from the Malaise samples by Brian Vol. 19, No. 2 51
Brown, after which the residues will be for- ples along the river to determine basic water warded to Doug Currie to extract lower flies chemistry variables (DO, pH, conductivity) and and Donna Giberson will look at the mayflies, primary productivity, in collaboration with Jo- stoneflies and caddisflies. The phorid fauna has seph Culp at the National Hydrology Research not yet been analyzed in detail, but it is much Institute. Donna will also be identifying the more diverse than the literature on northern in- Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera sects indicates. At least two genera, Megaselia collected during the trip. and Triphleba, were collected, with the former predominating in numbers and species richness. Plans for 2001 It was interesting to see that phorid flies were Discussions concerning 2001 field sea- abundant in samples collected on the tundra. son are now underway. We plan to undertake a Malaise traps were set on tundra sites using ca- similar expedition in Nunavut or northern Man- noe paddles as poles, when the already sparse itoba, although a specific destination has yet to black spruce stands along the river disappeared. be identified. The Thelon, Kazan, and Seal Energetics and Food Web Ecology of the Rivers have been discussed as possible venues, Horton System but further information is needed about logisti- Donna Giberson took samples repre- cal problems associated with each river. Re- senting different aquatic insect feeding guilds at gardless of the destination chosen, the resulting approximately 20-30 km intervals along the collections will provide a basis for comparison river. Stable isotope (carbon and nitrogen) anal- with collections made along the Horton River in ysis of the insect samples, along with potential 2000. A number of western species attain their food sources (e.g., detritus, fine particulate or- eastern limit before Hudson Bay; and other spe- ganic matter, biofilms) should provide informa- cies (e.g., Simulium giganteum) are known in tion about food sources and feeding patterns of the Nearctic Region only from the vicinity of the dominant taxa. Stable isotope analysis is a Hudson Bay. A west-to-east transect along any chemical analysis of food sources that takes ad- of the three rivers should provide more detailed vantage of the fact that different isotopes of information about the distribution and compo- common elements are sequestered by the body sition of northern insects. Such data are funda- in different, but predictable ways, allowing re- mental to developing sound biogeographical searchers to trace food sources and trophic lev- hypotheses. Anyone interested in participating els by analysing the ratios of the isotopes in the in this project is encouraged to contact us at the body tissues. Donna also collected water sam- addresses given above. 52 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
The Website of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/esc.hp/bschome.htm he Biological’s Survey’s main roles (to act committee of the Survey’s advisory Scientific Tas a coordinating office for information, Committee recommended that the site be ex- coordinate scientific work to foster active re- panded to make more faunal content available search projects and produce synthetic publica- and to increase the profile of the Survey and its tions, and to address matters of general concern projects. With the assistance of Agnes Bonk, an to biologists) are being enhanced with expan- intern hired through the Youth International In- sion of the Survey’s website, an expansion ternship Program, a redesign and expansion which will soon be fully implemented.. was undertaken late in 1999. The Survey is The Biological Survey has had a pres- pleased to announce the launch of our new and ence on the web since 1997. Last year a sub- improved website.
Home page of the new website for the Biological Survey of Canada Vol. 19, No. 2 53
In addition to a new look the site now been out of print for some time but the full text contains more specific content. For example is available now on the website. Insects of the most of the Survey’s briefs are now available Yukon has also been posted. Users can view or online in both Adobe Acrobat (PDF) and web download the complete text or individual chap- page formats. Some larger publications are also ters. Most of the publications that are available available electronically. Insect Dormancy: An as Acrobat files have the added benefit of being Ecological Perspective (H.V. Danks, 1987) has searchable.
Most Acrobat files (such as Insects of the Yukon above) are searchable
Briefs are available as html files that can be viewed with a web browser (left) or as Adobe Acrobat files 54 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
An objective of the site is to promote key formation on the upcoming informal confer- projects of the Survey. The Survey’s currently ence, and the text for all of the grasslands news- developing major project on the arthropods of letters. More information will be added as the Canadian grasslands is featured in a section of project progresses. the site that has a description of the project, in- Vol. 19, No. 2 55
A fledgling project on faunal analysis ers to demonstrate needs related to faunal stud- aims to compile accurate and authoritative, ies, especially the need for more positions in up-to-date, information on the diversity of Can- systematics. It is hoped that posting of existing ada’s terrestrial arthropod fauna. Such data will data will be an incentive for experts to update allow the Biological Survey of Canada and oth- the older estimates of Canadian diversity.
The Hymenoptera (above) were chosen as a test case for applying the protocol for the Faunal Analysis project.
To promote coordination and coopera- formation of relevant entomologists as well as tion among Canadian entomologists the Survey their detailed interests and current projects. An has long published an Annotated List of online form is available for additions and up- Workers on Systematics and Faunistics of Ca- dates. This database is kept up to date by the nadian Insects and Certain Related Groups.In Survey Secretariat and it is hoped that having the near future this information will be part of the information on the web will facilitate access the site in the form of a searchable database. to the database as well as encourage entomolo- Users will be able to search by name (of peo- gists to submit revised information. ple), taxon, ecological group or city of interest. Search results will show name and contact in- 56 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Navigation of the Survey’s new site has tions for improvements or additions are always been made easier with the addition of a site map welcome. Thanks go to the Entomological So- and a search feature. ciety of Canada (and webmaster Barry Lyons) The website is at http://www.biol- and the University of Alberta for hosting our ogy.ualberta.ca/esc.hp/bschome.htm. Sugges- site. Vol. 19, No. 2 57
The Quiz Page
— test your knowledge of Canada and its fauna —
1. Which province extends through the greatest number of degrees of longitude?
2. Which is the deepest lake in Canada?
3. What proportion of earwig species (Demaptera) in Canada is introduced and which of the introduced species has recently been spreading most rapidly?
4. Name three species of moths that live during the larval stage in tents made of or held together by silk?
5. Give the approximate ranges of the following characteristic Canadian insects. a) Aedes communis (Culicidae) b) Aphrophora gelida (Cercopidae) c) Aeshna septentrionalis (Aeshnidae) d) Chrysops frigidus (Tabanidae) e) Grylloblatta campodeiformis (Grylloblattidae) f) Hylurgopinus rufipes (Scolytidae)
[Answers on page 62] 58 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Selected Publications Associated with the Biological Survey
Arthropod ectoparasites of 1991. T.D. Galloway and H.V. Free of charge on request vertebrates in Canada. Abrief Danks. Bull. ent. Soc. Can. 23(1), Suppl. 11 pp.
Arthropods of springs, with 1991. D.D. Williams and H.V. $21 (includes shipping) from particular reference to Danks (Eds.). Mem. ent. Soc. Can. Entomological Society of Canada 155. 217 pp. Canada*
The importance of research 1991. G.B. Wiggins et al. Bull. ent. Free of charge on request collections of terrestrial Soc. Can. 23(2), Suppl. 16 p. arthropods. A brief
Winter habitats and ecologi- 1991. H.V. Danks. pp. 231-259 in Book available through booksell- cal adaptations for winter R.E. Lee and D.L. Denlinger (Eds.), ers survival Insects at Low Temperature. Chapman and Hall, New York. 513 pp.
Life cycle pathways and the 1991. H.V. Danks. Can. Ent. Copies available on request analysis of complex life 123(1-2): 23-40. cycles in insects
Museum collections: funda- 1991. H.V. Danks. Collection Reprints available on request mental values and modern Forum 7(2): 95-111. problems
Long life cycles in insects 1992. H.V. Danks. Can. Ent. 124(1): Reprints available on request 167-187.
Biodiversity and insect 1992. S.A. Marshall. Canadian Available from author collections Biodiversity 2(2): 16-22.
Arctic insects as indicators of 1992. H.V. Danks. Arctic 45(2): Reprints available on request environmental change 159-166.
Biodiversity of nearctic soil 1992. V.M. Behan-Pelletier and B. Available from author arthropods Bissett. Canadian Biodiversity 2(3): 5-14.
The biodiversity crisis, a na- 1993. H.V. Danks. Association of tional initiative: the Biologi- Systematics Collections Newsletter cal Survey of Canada (Terres- 21(2): 17-23. trial Arthropods) Vol. 19, No. 2 59
Systematics and entomology: 1993. G.E. Ball and H.V. Danks $25 (includes shipping) from diversity, distribution, adapta- (Eds.). Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 165. 272 Entomological Society of Canada tion and application pp.
Environmental lip-synching 1993. G.E. Ball. Alternatives 20(1): in Canada 21.
Seasonal adaptations in 1993. H.V. Danks. pp. 54-66 in M. Copies of English version avail- insects from the high arctic Takeda and S. Tanaka (Eds.), able on request [Seasonal adaptation and diapause in insects]. Bun-ichi-Sogo Publ., Ltd., Tokyo. (In Japanese).
La diversité des espèces 1994. H.V. Danks. Revue Tirés-à-part disponibles sur d*insectes du Québec, vues d*entomologie du Québec 37 demande. dans une perspective [1992]: 46-51. nord-américaine
Regional diversity of insects 1994. H.V. Danks. American Reprints available on request in North America Entomologist 40(1): 50-55.
Terrestrial arthropod 1994. S.A. Marshall, R.S.Anderson, Copies available on request biodiversity: planning a study R.E. Roughley, V. Behan-Pelletier and recommended sampling and H.V. Danks. Bull. ent. Soc. Can. techniques. A brief 26(1), Suppl. 33 pp.
Terrestrial arthropods of 1994. A.T. Finnamore and S.A. $32 (includes shipping) from peatlands, with particular Marshall (Eds.). Mem. ent. Soc. Entomological Society of Canada reference to Canada Can. 169. 289 pp.
Insect Life-cycle Polymor- 1994. H.V. Danks (Ed.). Series $195 U.S. Available from Kluwer phism: Theory, Evolution and Entomologica 52. Kluwer Academic Publ. Group, P.O. Box Ecological Consequences for Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 358, Accord Station, Hingham, Seaonality and Diapause Netherlands. 376 pp. MS 02018-0358 Control
Insect cold-hardiness: 1994. H.V. Danks, O. Kukal and Reprints available on request insights from the Arctic. R.A. Ring. Arctic 47(4): 391-404.
Regional diversity of insects 1995. H.V. Danks. J. ent. Soc. Br. Reprints available on request in the Pacific Northwest Columb. 92: 57-71.
The advantages of using 1996. A.T. Finnamore. 11 pp. Limited number of copies avail- arthropods in ecosystem able upon request management. A brief from the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 60 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
The SAGE Project. A work- 1996. A.T. Finnamore (Ed.) Available on the Internet at shop report on terrestrial http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/ arthropod sampling protocols reports/publications/sage/intro.html for graminoid ecosystems
How to assess insect 1996. H.V. Danks. Biological Copies available on request biodiversity without wasting Survey of Canada Document Series (Abridged version in Global your time. A brief. No. 5, ISBN 0-9692727-6-6. 20 pp. Biodiversity (1997) (version française dans La biodiversité mondiale (1997))
The wider integration of stud- 1996. H.V. Danks. European Reprints available on request ies on insect cold-hardiness Journal of Entomology 93(3): 383-403.
Annotated List of Workers on 1997. H.V. Danks and S. Goods. Free of charge on request Systematics and Faunistics of Third edition, 1996. Biological Canadian Insects and Certain Survey of Canada Document series Related Groups No. 6. 119 pp.
Insects of the Yukon 1997. H.V. Danks and J.A. Downes $95 (includes shipping) from (Eds.). Biological Survey of Canada Entomological Society of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), Ottawa. 1034 pp.
Arctic Insect News 1999. H.V. Danks (Ed.). No. 10. 29 Free of charge on request (Annual pp. issues 1–9 also available)
La dormance et les cycles 1999. H.V. Danks. Antennae 6(2): See: biologiques 5-8. http://www.seq.qc.ca
Life cycles in polar arthro- 1999. H.V. Danks. European Jour- Reprints available on request pods – flexible or pro- nal of Entomology 96(2): 83-102. grammed?
Terrestrial arthropod 2000. H.V. Danks and N.N. Win- Copies available on request biodiversity projects - build- chester. Biological Survey of Can- ing a factual foundation. A ada Document Series No. 7, ISBN brief from the Biological Sur- 0-9692727-9-0. 38 pp. vey of Canada (Terrestrial Ar- thropods).
[*To order publications from the Entomological Society of Canada contact the Society at 393 Winston Ave. Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1Y8; tel.: 613-725-2619, fax: 613-725-9349; email: [email protected]; [Orders from Canada pay the above-noted price in Canadian dollars; orders from other countries pay the above-noted price in U.S. dollars. Add 7% GST on all orders for Canada.] Vol. 19, No. 2 61
Selected Future Conferences
Organization Date Place Contact
Entomological Conferences
Entomological Society of Can- 2000, 2-7 Montréal, QC (with Societé d’entomologie du ada Dec. Québec and the Entomological Society of America) see: http://www.entsoc.org
2001 Niagara Falls, (with the Entomological Society ON of Ontario)
Entomological Society of 2000, 2-7 Montréal, QC (joint meeting with ESC, see America Dec above)
2001, 9-13 San Diego, ESA, 9301 Annapolis Road, Dec. CA Lanham, MD 20706-3115, e-mail [email protected]
2002, 10-15 Philadelphia, ESA, see above Dec. PA
Coleopterists Society Annual 2000, 5 Dec. Montréal, QC (Held in conjunction with the Meeting joint ESA/ESC/SEQ meeting) http://www.coleopsoc.org/
Collections / Museums / Systematics
Association of Systematics Col- 2001, 8-9 Chicago, IL Association of Systematics Col- lections Annual Meeting June lections, 1725 K Street NW, Suite 601;Washington, DC 20006-1401; [email protected]
Society for the Preservation of 2001, San Franciso, Jean Demouth, California Acad- Natural History Collections Summer CA emy of Sciences, Golden Gate Annual Meeting Park, San Franciso, CA. [email protected]
Other subjects (especially those relevant to Survey projects)
First International Conference on 2000, 25-27 London, Eng- ELIN Conference Administrator, Entomology Libraries and Infor- Oct. land c/o The Royal Entomological So- mation Networks (ELIN) ciety, 41 Queens Gate, London, SW7 5HR, UK, [email protected] 62 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Answers to Faunal Quiz
[see page 57]
1. The province extending through the greatest number of degrees of longitude is British Columbia, nearly 25° of longitude.
2. The deepest lake in Canada, much deeper than other Canadian lakes, is Great Slave Lake, reaching a maximum depth of 614 metres.
3. Four or five of the five species of Canadian earwigs are introduced (Doru aculeatum in southern Ontario may be native). The European earwig Forficula auricularia has been spreading rapidly in recent years especially in eastern North America.
4. The larvae of many species of moths form tents, but the most conspicuous and best known in Canada are tent caterpillars, species of Malacosoma (Lasiocampidae), the fall webworm Hyphantria cunea (Arctiidae), and species of Archips (Tortricidae), such as the ugly nest caterpillar A. cerasivorana.
5. a) The mosquito Aedes communis ranges across the northern Holarctic, including Canada from B.C. to Newfoundland north to treeline and slightly beyond. b) The boreal spittlebug Aphrophora gelida is locally common in the boreal zone across Canada (central B.C. to Newfoundland), south in the Appalachians to North Carolina. c) The dragonfly Aeshna septentrionalis ranges from coast to coast in northern boreal habitats (Yukon, B.C. and Alaska to Newfoundland), north to treeline and south in the Rocky Mountains to 51°N. d) The horse fly Chrysops frigidus occurs across the continent, south along the Rocky Mountains to Colorado, and in all Canadian provinces and territories north to treeline. e) The rock crawler Grylloblatta campodeiformis lives in the western mountains of Canada (B.C., Alberta) south to Montana and northern Idaho. f) The native elm bark beetle Hylurgopinus rufipes is eastern, ranging from New Brunswick west to Manitoba in Canada, and west in the United States to Kansas. Vol. 19, No. 2 63
Quips and Quotes
“Human activities . . . entail significant . . . consequences for one or more biodiversity components, primarily by redirecting matter and energy flows. This cumu- lative redirection is enormous at the planetary scale (Vitousek et al. 1997), as the fol- lowing three examples illustrate: (1) Vitousek et al. (1986) calculated that 40% of the Earth’s terrestrial primary productivity was being appropriated by humans; (2) Roberts (1997) estimates that 25-35% of the primary productivity of continental shelf marine ecoystems is consumed by humans; and (3) Postel et al. (1996) report that humans now appropriate 26% of total evapo-transpiration and use 54% of all runoff in rivers, lakes, and other accessible sources of water.” (Excerpt from K.H. Redford and B.D. Richter. 1999. Conservation Biology 13: 1246-1256)
It is the way of the world that some people put errors into circulation while others try then to eradicate these same errors. This keeps everyone busy . . . (Arni Magnusson)
Critical Quips He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I ever met (Abraham Lincoln) After all is said and done, more is said than done (Anon.) His absence is good company (Scottish saying) The covers of this book are too far apart (Ambrose Bierce)
We had seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and it was out (John C. Clancy) 64 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Requests for Material or Information Invited
ould you like assistance in studying the fauna? W The Biological Survey of Canada encourages cooperation in taxonomic and ecological studies of the arthropod fauna. Please complete and return the form on the next page if you have a request for ma- terial or information that might be obtained elsewhere in Canada (compare the sample entries from a previous list of requests that are shown below). Requests should be made by the middle of January; the list of requests will appear in the Spring 2001 newsletter. Sample entries (addresses omitted):
Material Areas of Collecting Methods, Name of Requested Interest Notes Requester 1 Acari (free living Anywhere, but es- Berlese-Tullgren funnel extraction from V.M. and parasitic terres- pecially subarctic subaquatic substrates, from grasses and Behan-Pelletie; E.E. trial and aquatic and arctic Canada, sedges, and from bird and mammal Lindquist; I.M. mites) Canadian grass- nests, would be especially fruitful (pre- Smith lands serve in 75% ethanol +5% glycerine). 2 Adelgidae (conifer Anywhere Preserve insects and bark, needles or R. Foottit woolly aphids) galls in 70% ethanol. Specimen records and host plant records. 3 Aleyrodidae North America Preserve insects and host plant material R. Foottit (whiteflies) in 70% ethanol. Adults may be dried. Specimen records and host plant records. (Canadian National Collection deficient in all species, including pest species) 4 Anthomyzidae New World Adults from any habitat, but often asso- K.N. Barber ciated with graminoids. Preservation in 70% ethanol preferred. Maliase and es- pecially pan trap residues are acceptable and valuable. General description of herbaceous cover and soil moisture advantageous. 5 Aphididae (aphids) Anywhere Preserve in 70% ethanol. R. Foottit Specimen records and host plant records. 6 Asilidae North America Pinned adults R.A. Cannings (robber flies) 7 Braconidae Anywhere Pointed or in ethanol M. Sharkey 8 Bumble bees Anywhere in Include floral host if any. Collect and R.C. Plowright Canada preserve dry (but specimens that have al- ready been put into ethanol are acceptable Vol. 19, No. 2 65
Request for Cooperation
Please complete and return to:
Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) Canadian Museum of Nature P.O. Box 3443, Station “D” Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4 Email: [email protected]
Name: ______Tel. Number______Email: ______Fax: ______Address:______
Material required (specify taxon, region, habitat, or other details, as appropriate): ______
Information required (describe in reasonable detail): ______
Cooperation offered - if there is anything specific you might be able to supply in return (e.g. identifications, material) please indicate it here: ______