38 PIWC. E:\TmLOL. Soc. BruT. C OL1JMllIA, VOL. 62 (1965) , D EC . 1, 1965 THE NOTONECTIDA.E (HEMIPTERA) OF BRITISH COLUMBIA G. G. E. SCUDDER Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver A study of the NO'tonectidae in overwinters in the adult instal': British Columbia has shown that. six Hungerford (1933) states that tln­ species are present in the Province. published records of the species in Distribution, habitat notes and a Michigan, indicate that there it key to species is given below. overwinters in the egg stage. The B.C. specimens were captured in Subfam i Iy Notonectinae small freshwater ponds, of less than Notonecta borealis Bueno & Hus­ a n acre in extent and with a profuse sey. - Cariboo, Springhouse, 15. ;I ii. growth of submerged and emergent 1962, 18. viii. 1962, 31. viii. 1962, 26 . vegetation. These ponds had a pH of v. 1963 (G. G. E. Scudder) ; Chilcotin, 8.03 - 8.3 5, and a water -conductivity 21. ix. 1963 (G. G. E. S.) [U.B.C.I. of 300 - 1050 microhmos/ cm. (equiv­ Hungerford (1933) records N . borealis alent to 0.0135 - 0.0525 % NaCl). from Michigan, Minnesota, Quebec and Bearfoot Mountains, B .C.: the N. kirbyi Hungerf. - Comox, vii latter record was repeated by Downes (J. L. Jones); Forbidden Plateau, (1927) . I have been unable to locate vii; Malahat, viii (W. Downes); Met­ the Bearfoot Mountains locality, and chosin; Saturna Is., v (J. Boone); so it is possible that this record 20 mls. S. Port Clements, iii (A. B. refers to some neighbouring state or Acton) ; Hope, ii (G. H. Asche); Mil­ province. ner, v (K. Graham); Nancy Lake, Mt. Seymour, ix (R. E. Leech); To the above distribution, also can Stanley Park, Vancouver, iv (G. G. be added the Northwest Territories E. Scudder); Vancouver, vii (H. B. and Alberta. Material examined in­ Leech); Oliver, ix (J. Boone) ; Kere­ cludes: - N.W.T ., M. 37, Yellowknife, meos, ix (W. Downes); Olalla, viii 21. vii. 1961 (T. G . Northcote ); (G. G. E. S.); Westbank, ix (W. D.); N.w.T., M. 10 . 5, Yellowknife, 21. 'Iii. Enderby, vi (W. D.); Vernon, 29 . iv. 1961 (T. G. N.); N.W.T ., trib. to 1918, in flight on road (M. Ruh­ Birch Lake, 4 mi. E. Birch Lake ?t mann); Vernon, ix (H. B. L.), x mi. 74 E. of Fort Providence, on Ft. (W. D.); Salmon Arm, v (H. B. L.); Providence-Fort Rae Hwy., 31. vii. Quick, viii (G. J . Spencer); Nicola, 1961 (C. C. Lindsey). ALTA., Hay vi (G. J . S.); Kamloops, vii-viii (G. River, 8 mi. N. of Meander River, 20. J . S.); Edith Lake, viii; Savona, vii; vii. 1961 (T. G . N.) [U.B.C.l Clinton, 6 mls. S., ix (G. G. E. S.) ~ 13 ml. Lake, Dog Creek Rd, N. Clin­ The specimens from near Birch ton, x (H. B. L. & C. V. Morgan); 14:9 Lake, N.W.T. and Hay River, Alta. mile, Cariboo Hwy., ix (G. G . E. S.); were taken in slOW flowing rivers. At Chilcotin, v-ix (G. G. E. S.); Mc­ the former the river was 10 feet wide, Intyre Lake, Chilcotin, x (G. G. E. 4 feet deep and with a weed bed at S.) ; Boitano Lake, Cariboo, v (G. G. margin; at the latter, the river was E. S.); Westwick La ke, Cariboo, iv-ix 80 feet wide, 2 feet deep and the (G. G . E. S.); Springhouse, Cariboo, bottom was mud with small stones iv-x (G. G . E. S.); Kootenay (Horse­ and some Potamogeton. In contrast shoe Lake, New Lake), x (H. Spar­ to this, the B.C. specimens were row); Fort St. John, vi (A. B. Acton) taken in small ponds. [U.B.C.l Oliver, v (J. E. H. Ma rtin); The captures of N. borealis in the Peachland, x (A. N. Gartrell); Sum­ Interior of British Columbia, indi­ merland, ix (A. N. G.) ; Westba nk, v cate that in this area, the species (A. Thrupp); Kaleden, xii (A. ~. G.); PUOC.,ENTOMOr.. Soc. B nIT. COLU;I[BIA. VOL . 62 (1965 ), DEC. 1, 1965 39 Kelowna, xi (A. N. G .); Creston, vii (N. Carter); Nr. Squamish, viii (G. (A. A. Dennys); Princeton, v (P. N. G . E. Scudder); Steelhead, ix (G. G . Vroom); Lavington, vi. (A. Thrupp) ; E. S.); Vancouver, x (D. C. Buck­ Copper Mt., ix (G. Stace Smith); land); Oliver, viii (W. D.); Vaseaux Minnie Lake, vii (N. Criddle); Clin­ Lake, viii (W. D.); Westbank, ix (W. ton, v (R. Hopping); 134 mile, viii D.); Keremeos, ix (W. D.); Kamloops, (R. Hopping); Barkerville, ix (G. viii (G. J. S.); Sheridan Lake, ix; Stace Smith); Revelstoke, 6000 ft., Williams Lake Distr., v (G. G. E. S.); vii (E. R. Buckell); Courtenay, vii Chilcotin, v-x (G. G . E. S.); Mc­ (J. G. Gregson) [C.N.C.J. Intyre Lake, Chilcotin, x (G. G. E. S.); Green Timbers Plateau, vi-x Hungerford (1933) notes material (G. G . E. S.); Beaverdam Lake, in the C.N.C. from Mt. Cheam, iii; Cariboo, x (G. G. E. S.); Spring­ Rolla, viii (P. N. Vroom), Aspen house, Cariboo, v-x (G. G. E. S.); Grove, v (P. N. Vroom), and reports Batholemew Lake, S . of Kimberley, the species as being confined to the v (I. Stirling); Kootenay (Horseshoe western United States and Canada. Lake,Jim Smith Lake, Enid Lake, Previous to 1933 N. kirbyi was con­ Lillian Lake, Hiawatha Lake, Bed­ fused with N . insulata Kirby. norski Lake, New Lake), x (H. Spar­ row) [U.B.C.J. 134 Mile (R. Hopping) ; In the B .C. Interior, N. kirbyi has Vernon (R. Hopping) [F.I.S., Vernonl been taken in a wide variety of Matson Lake, V.I., x (Downps & lakes, with pH 7.03 - 9.23 and con­ Hardy); Wellington, iii [Provo \1us. ductivity 60 - 6,800 microhmos/ cm., Victoria]. Peachland, x (A. N. Gar­ but has not so far been taken in trell); Salmon Arm, ix (A. Thrupp); waters above 7000 mi'crohmos/ cm. Summerland, x (A. N. G.); Oliver, x (about 0.4% NaCl). Some prelimin­ (A. N. G.); Victoria, vi (K. F. A.) ary measurements have been made [C.N.C.l Hungerford (1933) also gives on the haemolymph of this species: ChilliwaCk, ix; Mt. Cheam, ix, and the results are tabulated below. notes that N. undulata has a wide Lake Osmolarity Osmolarity range, extending from coast to coast of lake of insect in North America and from Canada water haemolymph to the Gulf of Mexico. (osmoles) (osmoles) In British Columbia, undulata A . .. _-_._---_. 0.005 O . :~O seems to be relatively more abundant B -- --_.---_. _- - 0.135 0.36 in the south than in the central in­ C -----_. _--- --- 0.270 0.37 terior, and is more common in the south-east, than is kirbyi. In the In Lake B there was 47 meq. Nai L Cariboo and Chilcotin undulata and and in the insect haemolymph 153 kirbyi frequently occur in the same meq. Na/ L (based on five insects lake. They have a similar range of pooled) . salinity tolerance and haemolymph val ues appear identical. N. undulata Say.-Comox, vii (J. L. Jones); Colwood, x (W. Downes); Courtenay; Forbidden Plateau, 3000 N. spinosa Hungerf. - Oliver, 15. ft., vii (Jones); Goldstream, vii (K. viii. 1937 (W. Downes); Vernon, 4. X. F. Auden); Lower Quinsam Lake, iv 1921 (W. D.), 13. ix. 1930 (H. Leech) (in cop. 30 . iv. 1960) (J. Lanko); m.B.c.l Kelowna, xi (A. N. Gartrell) Malahat, viii (W. D.); Metchosin, [C.N.C,J. Downes (in litt.) reports this viii (W. D.); Nanaimo, v (G. J. Spen­ from slow flowing streams. It appea rs cer); Saanich Distr., viii-ix (W. D.); to be confined to the Okanagan Val­ TOfino, vi-viii (G. J. S.); Victoria, vi ley in B .C. Hungerford (1933) re­ (K. F. A.); Agassiz, vii; Haney, ix cords the species from B.C., Oregon, (W. D .); Prince Rupert, muskeg pool Montana, Nevada and Utah. 40 Pnoc . ENTO.MOL. Soc . BRIT. COLUlIIBIA, V OL. 62 (1965) , DEC. 1, 1965 N. unifasciata andersoni !lungerf. of the Province : it does not a ppar­ - Osoyoos, 29 . iii. 1941 (H. B . Leech) ; ently p enetrate far into the Interior, Westbank, 12. ix. 1954 (W. Downes ) but a lso it is not confined to the [U.B.C.l Oliver, v (A. N. Gartrell); Oka nagan. The locality nea r Squam­ Peachland, x (A. N . G.); Penticton, x ish is a very s mall road-side pond, (A. N. G .); Summerland, iv (A. N . with floating logs and a little vegeta­ G .); Vernon, vi (R. Hopping) [C.N.C.l tion. In August 1961 the species ,vas Like spinosa, apparently confined to a bundant and both adults and larvae the Okanagan Va lley in B.C. This were captured. Truxal (1953) r eports subspecies extends from B .C. through con/usa from Alberta, Manitoba, the W estern United States to Mexico, eastern and southern United States the type locality being Olive;:, B.C. and the W est Indies. In the northern part of its range, spec:mens are larger than those to the south a nd Subfamily Anisopinae the s pecies seems to show a clinal Buenoa confusa Truxal - Duncan, type variation. Further, Truxa l (loc. 4. ix. 1926 (W. Downes) ; Beaver cit.) reports a variation in flight Lake, Saanich Dist., 9. viii. 2919 (W. wing development in different popu­ D.); Malahat, 30. viii. 1939 (W. D.); lations. In Manitoba and Alberta 32% Sooke,19 . viii.