Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Vol. 40(1) Summer 2021 The Newsletter of the BSC is published twice a year by the In this issue Biological Survey of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit From the editor’s desk............2 group devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada. Membership..........................3 President’s report...................4 BSC Facebook & Twitter...........5 Reminder: 2021 AGM Contributing to the BSC The Annual General Meeting will be held on June 23, 2021 Newsletter............................5 Reminder: 2021 AGM..............6 Request for specimens: ........6 Feature Articles: Student Corner 1. City Nature Challenge Bioblitz Shawn Abraham: New Student 2021-The view from 53.5 °N, Liaison for the BSC..........................7 by Greg Pohl......................14 Mayflies (mainlyHexagenia sp., Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae): an 2. Arthropod Survey at Fort Ellice, MB important food source for adult by Robert E. Wrigley & colleagues walleye in NW Ontario lakes, by A. ................................................18 Ricker-Held & D.Beresford................8 Project Updates New book on Staphylinids published Student Corner by J. Klimaszewski & colleagues......11 New Student Liaison: Assessment of Chironomidae (Dip- Shawn Abraham .............................7 tera) of Far Northern Ontario by A. Namayandeh & D. Beresford.......11 Mayflies (mainlyHexagenia sp., Ephemerop- New Project tera: Ephemeridae): an important food source Help GloWorm document the distribu- for adult walleye in NW Ontario lakes, tion & status of native earthworms in by A. Ricker-Held & D.Beresford................8 Canada, by H.Proctor & colleagues...12 Feature Articles 1. City Nature Challenge Bioblitz Tales from the Field: Take me to the River, by Todd Lawton ............................26 2021-The view from 53.5 °N, by Greg Pohl..............................14 2. Arthropod Survey at Fort Ellice, GloWorm: Manitoba, by Robert E. Documenting distribution & status of earthworms.............12 Wrigley & colleagues...............18 Notice: Open Call for Data Projects......17 Essay: Tales from the Field Biodiversity, ecosystem functionality & ecosystem health: A Take me to the River, by Todd resolving debacle, by P.G. Kevan.....................................28 Lawton ...............................26 Essay: Biodiversity, ecosystem Requests for specimens: ..........................................6 functionality & ecosystem health: Elateridae from across Canada (but especially BC) A resolving debacle, by P.G. Kevan from Scott Gilmore .........................................28 Carabidae from across Canada Canadian Journal of from Kevin Floate Ar thropod Identification: Earthworms 2021 papers.........................31 from Heather Proctor BSC publications available on the Website....................31 2021 papers in the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Notices ...............................32 Identification............................................................31 Visit our Website | Previous issues http://biologicalsurvey.ca http://biologicalsurvey.ca/pages/read/newsletter-past-issues Contact us: [email protected] Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 2 From the Editor’s desk Donna Giberson This issue marks the 40th volume of the BSC Newsletter. The Newsletter was launched in 1982 to disseminate information about the activities of the Biological Survey to subscribers, and included minutes of recent Scientific Committee meetings and requests for specimens, as well as articles and biodiversity news. Hugh Danks (former Head of the Biological Survey of Canada) edited the News- letter until his retirement in 2007 (see Danks, H.V., 2016. The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History. Biological Survey of Canada Monograph Series No. 8 (https://biologicalsurvey.ca/ monographs/read/19) for more information about the early days of the Survey). Andrew Smith took over editorial duties following Hugh’s retirement, then I came on as Editor in Fall 2009. The Survey has gone through some ups and downs since then (not to mention the challenges of the pandemic!), but the recent publication of the Biota of Canada monograph (https://zookeys.pensoft.net/ issue/1251/) and upcoming initiatives (see the Presidents Report on p. 4) are aimed at making Canadian Biodiversity information more available through our website and en- gaging in community science projects speak to the resilience and interest of our group. This newsletter would not be possible without the contributions from our readers, and I urge you to read these and consider submitting an update or article on your own work. Please also consider getting involved with the BSC, whether it be standing for one of the positions on the board, or engaging with on-going projects, or, as shown below, help- ing out with the website or other outreach activities! If you haven’t yet looked up our website or checked out the BSC on Facebook, consider doing so, and send us your comments; of course, if there are any little bumps in navigating the site, we’d like to hear about them. The new site will continue to have links to biodiversity resources of the BSC, and our publications, and will be easier to keep up to date. Check it out, at http://biologicalsurvey.ca/ Questions? Please contact us at [email protected] D.Giberson Tiger beetles on Blooming Point Beach, PEI. The Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada is published twice a year (summer and winter) by the Biological Survey of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit group devoted to promoting biodiversity science in Canada, particularly with respect to the Arthropoda. Send submissions to: Dr. Donna Giberson ([email protected]) Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3 Masthead image: Tricoloured Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius photographed on lupins in PEI in 2010, D.Giberson Volume 40(1) Summer 2021 [click here to return to front page] Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 3 Biological Survey of Canada: Documenting Canada’s Biodiversity The Biological Survey of Canada (BSC) has been collecting, collating, analyzing and disseminating information about Canada’s biological diversity since 1977. The BSC is a Canadian non-profit, charitable organization consisting of biodiversity scientists across Canada, and in other countries, who have an interest in Canadian biota. The BSC prides itself in identifying and filling biodiversity information needs using a bottom-up organiza- tional structure, whereby front-line workers identify the needs and work to address them. The BSC has successfully demonstrated its capacity to advance national level biodiversity science and knowledge concerning terrestrial arthropods, which account for >60% of Canadian species, and is now reaching out to the broader biological community to bring together those who are experts with other taxa and who share a common vision and goal of making biodiversity information more accessible. Are you a member of the BSC? You may be on the mailing list to receive BSC newsletters, but may not be a member! To become a member, send a request for membership to the BSC Secretary (see below). Remember to request membership before the AGM so you are eligible to vote. If you don’t hear from us within a couple of weeks, please contact us again, to be sure your request has been received. To Join the BSC: Send an email to Donna Giberson, Secretary, BSC. [email protected] - In the subject line, write “BSC Membership” - in the body of the message, give your full name and contact infor- mation, and a valid email address. Please also provide some infor- mation on your background and biodiversity interests. ** Remember to update the BSC if you change email addresses. Check out the BSC website! http://biologicalsurvey.ca/ Volume 40(1) Summer 2021 [click here to return to front page] Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada 4 President’s update Biological Survey of Canada/ Commission biologique du Canada Greg Pohl Natural Resources Canada, Northern Forestry Centre Edmonton, AB As my two-year term as president of the BSC winds down, it appears that our long dance with covid is wind- ing down as well. It seems likely that we will be able to travel and meet in person again soon. Nevertheless, for the second year in a row, ongoing pandemic restrictions are preventing the BSC from running a summer bioblitz, and hosting a symposium at the Entomological Society of Canada annual meeting. For the past six months, the BSC has been working on a fresh new website, where we will host more detailed information on the biota of Canada, and will continue to host the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. It has taken us a while to articulate our needs and secure the IT expertise, but I’m pleased to report that our website moderniza- tion is now underway. I’ll take this opportunity to thank James Glasier (BSC webmaster), Timothy Quinn (volunteer web programmer and IT consultant), Heather Proctor (CJAI editor-in-chief), Spencer Monkton (CJAI technical editor) and Morgan Jackson (past CJAI technical editor), who have been incredibly valuable to the BSC through this process. I’ve spent much of my time as BSC president grappling with visions of what the BSC could be, tempered by the reality of what we are and the limited resources we have at hand. Since the society’s beginnings in the 1970s, we’ve striven to fill in the details on the broad picture of