Vol. 27, No. 1 15 The Biodiversity of Beetles in the Maritime Provinces Christopher G. Majka Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3A6 [email protected] nderstanding invertebrate biodiversity is a Beetles (Coleoptera) are thought to be Utall order, something apparent to anyone the most species-rich order of organisms in who has attempted to bite off even a minute the world. Estimates vary of how many there slice of this very large pie. As many investi- may be, however, Terry Erwin, a coleopterist gators have pointed out there is a “taxonomic working with the Smithsonian Institution has deficit” in the biological community today as estimated that as many 20 million species exist universities and training institutions gravitate worldwide (Erwin 1991), perhaps a quarter of towards molecular and genetic studies, and the ~ 80 million species of insects. Only some government funding for taxonomic, systematic, 350,000 species of beetles have been described, and biodiversity studies remains very meager. of which ~ 25,160 have been recorded in North Yet being able to identify organisms and deter- America (Marske and Ivie 2003). mine the species composition of environments A major step in understanding the beetle is not only an important activity per se, but is fauna of Canada was the publication in 1991 of also pivotal to the understanding of ecology, the Checklist of Beetles of Canada and Alaska endangered species, climate change, intro- (Bousquet 1991). This enumerated 7,447 spe- duced and invasive species, and the environ- cies in Canada including 1,365 from New mental impacts of anthropogenic activities. If Brunswick, 1,320 from Nova Scotia, and 340 we don’t accurately know the composition of biological communities, how can we conserve them or ascertain if they are changing or being affected by human activities? Knowledge of the biodiversity of terres- trial invertebrates has lagged behind that of vertebrates or even vascular plants. There are many species, some require detailed micro- scopic examination (even of genitalia) to iden- tify them, the taxonomy of many groups is poorly understood, there are long and difficult learning curves to acquire technical proficiency in identification, taxonomic expertise is in short supply, and much of the primary literature is scattered in scientific journals published around the world over the past couple of centuries in a potpourri of languages. Such obstacles have proved daunting to many who have contem- Euvira micmac Klimaszewski and Majka, 2007 (photograph by Klaus Bolte) plated aspects of this undertaking. 16 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) from Prince Edward Island. This compendium Furthermore there were a number was an important synthesis of information of researchers in the region interested in (some published and some not), however, from Coleoptera. David McCorquodale (CBU); the standpoint of the Maritime Provinces, the Søren Bondrup-Nielsen (Acadia); Peter coverage it was able to provide was meager. Duinker and Tatiana Rossolimo (Dalhousie); The authors of the various chapters relied, for Doug Strongman (St. Mary’s); Donna Giberson the most part, on the holdings of the Canadian (UPEI); David Larson (Memorial); Gaetan National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Moreau (Moncton); Jean-Pierre Le Blanc Nematodes (CNC) in Ottawa (as well as pub- (NSAC); Jeff Ogden (NS DNR); Christine lished sources). Although there are many col- Noronha, Mary Smith, Susan Westby, and lections of insects in the Maritimes, some dat- Gilles Boiteau (Agriculture Canada); Patricia ing to the latter part of the nineteenth century, Baines and Jon Sweeney (CFS); and collect- most have remained little known. The quality ors such as Ken Neil, Dwayne Sabine, Gary of determinations (if the specimens were iden- Selig, David Webster, Reggie Webster, and tified at all) varied greatly, and even when others, who proved enthusiastic supporters of names had been attached to specimens, they initiatives that would better define the beetle often reflected dated nomenclature and tax- fauna of the region. Students such as Kathleen onomy. Consequently the holdings of most of Aikens, DeLancey Bishop, Chantelle Cormier, these collections were not at a level where they Philana Dollin, Clayton D’Orsay, Rebecca could usefully contribute to an understanding Ewing, Daniel Kehler, Sean LeMoine, Heather of the region’s beetle fauna. Love, Andrew MacDonald, and Sheena Towsend deserve special credit for a series of In 2000 I became interested in understand- excellent studies that have contributed much ing the beetle fauna of the Maritime Provinces. contemporary knowledge about the beetle As an ecologist I am interested in ecological communities of the Maritimes. Moreover, this perspectives on the natural world, and in order enthusiasm was not just confined to the region. to take a step in this direction, and not be reli- Many Coleoptera researchers at the Canadian ant on scarce taxonomic expertise of “experts,” National Collection (Pat Bouchard, Yves I embarked on the slow path of understand- Bousquet, Anthony Davies, Serge Laplante, ing Coleopteran taxonomy. Only in this way Laurent Lesage, and Ales Smetana) and the would it be possible discern the biodivers- Canadian Forest Service (Jan Klimaszewski, ity of beetles in the region, itself a necessary David Larson), and the countless taxonomic prerequisite to ecological, environmental, experts around the country, continent, and world evolutionary, and other studies of the fauna. assisted the initiative through their determina- In so doing I discovered both that there were tions of species and expertise. Consequently extensive collections of Coleoptera at organ- I’ve been able to assemble a team of investiga- izations such as Agriculture Canada (Kentville, tors on the ground who have collected material NS; Charlottetown, PEI; Fredericton, NB); the and supplied specimens, and a “virtual” team Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources that have supported these initiatives. What has (Shubenacadie, NS); the Canadian Forest been the result? Service (CFS) (Fredericton, NB; Corner Brook, NF); many universities (Cape Breton (CBU), Since 2004, together with various “team” Acadia, Dalhousie, St. Mary’s, University of members, I have published 54 scientific papers Prince Edward Island, Memorial University, in peer-reviewed publications pertaining to the and the Université de Moncton); at institutes beetles of Atlantic Canada. Nine additional such as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College papers are in press, five are being reviewed, (NSAC); the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and eight others have been completed and will provincial museums; and in the hands of pri- shortly be submitted for publication, a total of vate collectors. 76 studies. Some have been surveys of aspects Vol. 27, No. 1 17 Fig.1. The beetle fauna of Nova Scotia; composition and newly recorded species. Fig. 2. The beetle fauna of Prince Edward Island; composition and newly recorded species. 18 Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) of the fauna, contributing new provincial, ponents of the NS fauna, but are much less repre- national, and continental records; others have sented on PEI. Are these differences reflective been ecological studies, reviews of the biology of different environmental circumstances of particular species, systematic reviews and between the two provinces, or are they simply descriptions of new species, studies of island indicative of differential collection efforts? faunas, studies of saproxylic species associ- Only further research can resolve such ques- ated with decaying wood, reviews of particular tions. The graphs also reveal past emphases on habitats such as coastal faunas, and theoretical families such as the Carabidae and Dytiscidae, and methods papers. which have historically received more attention (consequently fewer new species have been Through a careful examination of his- discovered), and (for example) the Ptiliidae, torical specimens in regional collections, and Cryptophagidae, and Latridiidae in Nova Scotia, availing ourselves of the results of contem- and the Hydrophilidae, Cantharidae, Anobiidae, porary studies, these studies have substan- Latridiidae, Mordellidae, Nitidulidae, Cleridae, tially increased the known beetle fauna of the and Scirtidae (amongst others) on PEI about region. Using as a point of departure the data which almost nothing was previously known. presented in Bousquet (1991), the beetle fauna Within these overall patterns is a large number of Nova Scotia has increased from 1,320 to of interesting topic areas: 2,352 (+ 1,032) species (Fig. 1). The known beetle fauna of Prince Edward Island has • Introduced Species such as Ptinus increased from 340 to 895 (+ 555) species (Fig. sexpunctatus (Anobiidae); Dinoderus minu- 2). Comparable statistics in relation to New tus (Bostrichidae); Sphaeroderma testaceum Brunswick are currently being compiled which (Chrysomelidae); Orchidophilus aterrimus, will further allow us to examine the complete Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Curculionidae); regional fauna of the Maritime Provinces. Dermestes undulatus (Dermestidae); Even a quick glance at these graphs yields cer- Cephennium gallicum (Scydmaenidae); Atheta tain insights. The most speciose family in NS celata, Phloeocharis subtilissima, and Quedius is the Staphylinidae, whereas on PEI it is the fuliginosus (Staphylinidae) have all been newly Carabidae. The Leiodidae, Cryptophagidae, recorded in North