Syrphidae (Diptera) of northern Ontario and Akimiski Island, Nunavut: new diversity records, trap analysis, and DNA barcoding A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada © Copyright by Kathryn A. Vezsenyi 2019 Environmental and Life Sciences M.Sc Graduate Program May 2019 ABSTRACT Syrphidae (Diptera) of northern Ontario and Akimiski Island, Nunavut: new diversity records, trap analysis, and DNA barcoding Kathryn A. Vezsenyi Syrphids, also known as hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are a diverse and widespread family of flies. Here, we report on their distributions from a previously understudied region, the far north of Ontario, as well as Akimiski Island, Nunavut. I used samples collected through a variety of projects to update known range and provincial records for over a hundred species, bringing into clearer focus the distribution of syrphids throughout this region. I also analysed a previously un-tested trap type for collecting syrphids (Nzi trap), and report on results of DNA analysis for a handful of individuals, which yielded a potential new species. KEYWORDS Syrphidae, Diptera, insects, northern Ontario, Akimiski Island, diversity, insect traps, long term study, range extension, new species, DNA barcoding ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis is written in dedication to my co-supervisor David Beresford, without whom none of this would have been possible. You have spent many long hours helping me with my data, my writing, and overall, my life. Your tireless, unwavering belief in me is one of the things that got me to where I am today, and has helped me grow as a person. Your collection of insects from Akimiski is incredible, and I hope these collections will continue for years to come. Words cannot express my thanks. Thank you to my co-supervisor Jim Schaefer; your funding, expertise, time, and edits were invaluable, and you raised my work to a higher level. Huge thanks to my committee members, Jeff Skevington and Bill Crins. Your expertise of syrphids has taught me so much and your phenomenal syrphid field guide was an integral part of my thesis; I couldn’t have done it without you. Jeff, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work with you and your team at the Canadian National Collections of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes (CNC); it was an incredible opportunity for which I am grateful. Thanks to my friends and co-authors from the CNC: Andrew Young, Michelle Locke, and Kevin Moran. Your knowledge and enthusiasm for syrphids has taught me so much, and I am eternally grateful. Also thanks to Scott Kelso and Victoria Nowell, for teaching me about insect prep, and DNA barcoding. This work would not have been possible without the Far North Biodiversity Project; thanks to Dean Phoenix, John Ringrose, Ken Abraham, and everyone else who had a hand in the FNBP collection. Your work is invaluable, and I am grateful. iii My labmates in the Beresford lab have spent many long hours tirelessly sorting samples, slogging through spreadsheets, and supporting my thesis. Kaitlyn Fleming, Sarah Langer, Kayla Vizza, Sherri DeGasparro, Ayden Ricker-held, and all the other volunteers I’ve had the pleasure of working with: thank you. You’ve made being trapped in a freezing cold windowless room an enjoyable experience. Finally, thanks to my family and friends, who have motivated me to keep going. My Mom, Michelle George, was particularly motivating and always around to talk when I needed her the most. My Aunt, Jennifer Irwin, for your excellent review of my thesis; my unnecessary commas didn’t stand a chance. Also, thanks to Austin George for support, and Hana Vezsenyi for your institutional access getting me around paywalls. Matt Yee, Kaitlyn Fleming, Sarah Langer, Vaughn Mangal, Nat Cummings, and Charlie Pilgrim made my life enjoyable in the meantime. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... ii KEYWORDS ................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... ix Preface ............................................................................................................................................ xi REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... xvi Chapter 1: Sampling Syrphidae using Malaise and Nzi traps on Akimiski Island, Nunavut. ......... 1 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2 METHODS AND MATERIALS ................................................................................................. 3 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 7 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................. 9 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 16 TABLES AND FIGURES ......................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2: Distribution of Syrphidae (Diptera) across the far north of Ontario ............................ 31 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 31 METHODS AND MATERIALS ............................................................................................... 33 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 36 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................ 38 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................... 42 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 43 TABLES AND FIGURES ......................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................ 58 Chapter 3: Barcode Syrphidae data from the far north of Ontario, and Akimiski Island, Nunavut. ....................................................................................................................................................... 60 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 60 METHODS ................................................................................................................................ 60 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 62 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................ 63 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES .............................................................................. 65 TABLES AND FIGURES ......................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 4: General Discussion ....................................................................................................... 71 v REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 75 vi LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1 Figure 1: Map of study site on Akimiski Island, Nunavut. Page 28 Figure 2: Malaise trap (left) and cloth Nzi trap (right) deployed on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, 2017. Page 29 Figure 3: Rarefaction curve of Malaise and Nzi syrphid sampling data from 2012–2017 on Akimiski Island, Nunavut. The bars represent standard deviation. Page 30 Chapter 2 Figure 1: All sites in the far north of Ontario from which syrphids were collected 2009- 2015 (black circles) and FNBP sites sampled from which no syrphids were collected (white circles). Page 55 Figure 2 A-D: Species maps of individuals collected from the far north of Ontario that extended their overall range distributions: (A) Eristalis stipator, (B) Helophilus bottnicus, (C) Platycheirus orarius, (D) Platycheirus thompsoni. Original ranges are in light grey, collected specimen in black. Page 56 Figure 3 A-F: New Ontario species records of Syrphidae, collected in the far north of Ontario. (A) Helophilus bottnicus, (B) Melangyna labiatarum, (C) Platycheirus pictipes, (D) Orthonevra robusta, (E) Platycheirus