Summary of the Meeting of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), November 2006
The Scientific Committee met in Montréal, QC, on November 22, 2006. Because of budget restrictions this was an abbreviated meeting and some members were not able to attend.
Scientific Projects
1. Grasslands
All chapters have been submitted to editor Terry Wheeler for the first grasslands volume. However, there has been little progress on this volume since April.
2 Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification
The Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification (CJAI) was formally launched on June 28, 2006 with the publication of papers on the “Mecoptera of Ontario” and “Keys to the Families and Genera of Blood and Tissue Feeding Mites Associated with Albertan Birds”. Several other papers have either been submitted or are in advanced stages. Scientific Committee members were encouraged to ensure that their colleagues are aware of this excellent opportunity for free digital publication of extensively illustrated taxonomic works.
Mr. Dave Cheung, the journal’s technical editor, presented a talk on the CJAI at the 2006 Entomological Society of Ontario meetings. His was one of five talks at the meeting that mentioned work published or pending in CJAI.
The University of Alberta Libraries has offered to host the CJAI as part of their Open Access initiative. The Committee responded favourably to this offer and will follow up as appropriate. The CJAI is currently housed on the BSC web site.
3. Terrestrial arthropods of Newfoundland and Labrador
A key to the Curculionoidea is planned for completion this fiscal year and submission to the CJAI. The Newfoundland Department of Environment and Conservation provided a grant to finish this work and is interested in continuing to support arthropod biodiversity work in NL. Work on macromoths and on the Staphylinidae continues. There is a large amount of activity in extracting species records from the literature which will contribute to the species database and to the bibliographic database. Work is still needed on major orders such as Diptera and Hymenoptera. The Bio-Blitz 2006 provided a lot of new material from interesting habitats, including two new mosquito records for the island.
4. Forest arthropods
The BSC continues to maintain and update a list of forest arthropod biodiversity projects in Canada and adjacent parts of the United States This product, which can be found on the BSC web site, highlights current activity in Canada and the northern United States and facilitates contact between researchers with complementary interests. Volume 3 of the Arthropods of Canadian Forests newsletter will be published electronically in late April (English) and mid-May (French) to over 200 recipients in 8 countries.
Most of the 7 papers from the JAM-2005 symposium, “Maintaining Arthropods in Northern Forest Ecosystems,” have been finalized and will be published in The Canadian Entomologist.
Work on the Cerambycidae of Canada and Alaska project continues. The goal is to produce and publish a handbook to the Cerambycidae of Canada and Alaska. Most of the large collections in Canada and Alaska have now been examined, and specimens identified and entered into a database. Revisionary work is essentially complete for the genus Tetropium, and other taxonomic work is under way.
5. Insects of the arctic
A graduate student, Mr. Julio Rivera did extensive trapping in the western Cordillera including Alaska and the Yukon. Other field work is planned for 2007. A proposal to revisit historical arctic insect survey sites in a systematic way (see also Graduate student proposal below) could provide an opportunity to encourage collaborative work. Finding alternate sources of funding might make this costly northern work more feasible.
6. Seasonal adaptations Several papers published or in press under the auspices of this project were reported on.
7. Invasions and reductions
A well attended 1-day symposium on Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Insects and Fungi on Terrestrial Ecosystems was held on November 18 at the Joint Annual Meeting in Montreal. There were 13 speakers from the USA and Canada. Papers will be published in a special issue of Biological Invasions with the addition of two more papers about fungi.
In 2005, the Canadian Forest Service commenced a new national project on established alien species. As part of a CFS project, Dr. David Langor developed a list (with associated data) of the non-native tree-feeding arthropods and fungi of Canada, and subsequently a list of all non-native terrestrial arthropods. A selected bibliography is also being compiled. An analysis of these data will be published and the data about arthropods on trees will be incorporated into a CFS/CFIA IAS web site currently under development. Another related activity is the capture of label data associated with archived specimens of non-native arthropod fauna and fungal flora on trees. These data will be used to develop distribution maps and for analysis of rates and patterns of range expansion.
Progress on capturing data for the coccinellid project continues and a paper was presented at the aforementioned symposium.
Other scientific priorities
1. Bio-Blitz proposals The 2005 Bio-Blitz held at Waterton Lakes National Park continues to yield new data as participants complete identifications. Some new collecting occurred in 2006 and the research permit is valid for another year. The 2006 BSC Bio-Blitz took place in Gros Morne National Park, NL, from 5-10 July with the participation of Parks Canada and the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Conservation. There is much interest from Parks Canada employees at Gros Morne National Park in facilitating continued arthropod surveys in the park. Overall, the 2006 Bio-Blitz was a success in terms of specimen collection, creating public awareness, and forging new partnerships that bodes well for future arthropod biodiversity work on the island.
Bio-Blitz 2007 is planned for Riding Mountain National Park, MB. There is some interest in having a 2008 Bio-Blitz in a northern national park.
A proposal to organize a series of Collection Blitzes to assess material and give particular curatorial attention to chosen collections was discussed.
2. Survey web site
An updated web site was launched in the first week of June 2006. A summary of the changes (clearer menu structure, etc.) was published in the Fall 2006 Newsletter.
3. Faunal analysis
Steps needed to revitalize this project were discussed. They included redefining the project objectives, better defining the precise form of the output, updating the higher taxonomic categories, simplifying the existing protocols, renaming the project, striking a new subcommittee, and developing a list of experts. A subcommittee was established to begin the work.
4. Arthropods and fire
The Journal of Insect Conservation has tentatively agreed to publish the papers from the BSC symposium on arthropods and fire held last year. To date 7 authors have confirmed their participation, 2 have given tentative agreements, and 1 has declined.
5. Arthropods of the Gulf of St. Lawrence Islands
Some collecting occurred during the summer of 2006 in this fledgling project.
6. Databasing
A large CFI proposal that will fund databasing at several university entomological and botanical collections across Canada has been funded. The Nearctic Spider Database of The Canadian Arachnologist website at http://canadianarachnology.dyndns.org/, which is constructed and promoted by Mr. David Shorthouse, continues to grow rapidly in size, sophistication and influence. The BSC database of collecting localities should be soon ready for posting on the BSC web site.
7. Biodiversity sampling brief
The proposal to revise and expand the Survey’s 1994 biodiversity brief on planning a study and recommended sampling techniques had been put on hold because a planned British Museum publication seemed to cover the same material. However, it has since been learned that the British Museum publication has been cancelled, and so the Survey’s initiative could be revived.
8. Monitoring of continuing priorities Due to the abbreviated meeting only written reports were accepted. For Ectoparasites of vertebrates Dr. Proctor reported that a Lucid interactive key to nasal mites of the family Rhinonyssidae known from birds in Canada has been completed. Dr. Proctor is looking for a new M.Sc. or Ph.D. student interested in the systematics of avian mites to start in Sept 2007.
Liaison and exchange of information
Due to the location and abbreviated nature of this meeting most representatives from other agencies were not able to attend.
1. Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada
Mr. Roger Baird, Director Collections Services, Canadian Museum of Nature reported that the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada is putting together a strategic plan to determine what its current capabilities are, where the gaps are, and the future direction of the Alliance. A collections survey of institutions that are part of the Alliance has been completed. How the organization can grow to be more inclusive is under discussion.
2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Dr. Jean-François Landry reported that the departmental reorganization is largely completed. Dr. Barry Grace, formerly acting Science Director for the Biodiversity Theme of the Environmental Health Program has been officially appointed to that post. Several publications are in process or have been recently published. The primary types of the CNC will be databased and made available in an online, searchable database.
Other business
1. BSC transition
Following the announced retirement of Dr. Hugh Danks, both the Chair of the Scientific Committee and the President of the Entomological Society of Canada wrote to the President of the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ms. Joanne DiCosimo, to show the support of the scientific community for the BSC operation. In turn, Ms. DiCosimo had written to Dr. Shorthouse and explained that the Museum would not be in a position to make a decision about the long-term relationship between the CMN and the Biological Survey until the Museum’s strategic planning process for 2008-13 concludes in the winter of 2007-08. Ms. DiCosimo had outlined options to fill the gap between the time Dr. Danks retires and when this planning is completed. The Committee discussed these and other options and agreed to draft a reply to Ms. DiCosimo.
2. Graduate student proposal
A proposal made by the chair of ESC student affairs committee, Mr. Chris Borkent, to promote graduate student work in northern Canada was considered. Mr. Borkent hoped to build upon the Northern Insect Surveys that were done in the 1950’s and 1960’s as well as other programs that have catalogued northern species. A subcommittee agreed to develop a proposal for review at the spring meeting of the Scientific Committee.
3. Other matters The Committee also considered briefly issues such as endangered species, the BSC award, and the membership of the Scientific Committee.