Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)

News and Notes

News and Notes
Grasslands conference at 2000 meeting
Survey’s website expanding
Biodiversity brief published
Spider newsletter published
New cone and seed insect web site
Nature Discovery Fund makes first award
Summary of the Scientific Committee meeting
Members of the Scientific Committee

Comments on Error Rates in Insect Identifications

Request for Cooperation (form)

Summary of the meeting of the Scientific Committee for the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), April 2000

The Scientific Committee met in Ottawa on 13-14 April 2000.

Scientific Projects

The various scientific projects of the Survey were discussed, including the following progress.

1. Grasslands

Dr. Joe Shorthouse reminded the Committee that Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands is the Survey’s next major project and that a subcommittee chaired by Drs. Kevin Floate and Terry Wheeler is steering the project. The grasslands project can look at the role of insects in both natural areas and those influenced by human activities. A draft prospectus prepared by Dr. Shorthouse and Dr. Wheeler was distributed before the meeting, designed to be used in a variety of ways.

Dr. Shorthouse described preliminary attempts by him, Dr. Floate and Dr. Wheeler to identify subjects for the next three products from the grasslands project. He hoped that this attempt would encourage Committee members to identify other potential products and people who might play a role in them. The Grasslands subcommittee planned to meet after the Scientific Committee meeting and Dr. Shorthouse invited other participants to join. Dr. Shorthouse reviewed various grassland types in habitats across the country, as background for the project.

The nature of the prospectus and possibilities of specific funding for the project were discussed at length. An initial prospectus would develop in detail the scientific purpose of the grasslands project, to characterize grassland arthropods from various scientific perspectives. A separate prospectus to seek specific funding is also needed, and funding options would also be considered by a working group of the grasslands subcommittee.

An informal conference on “Arthropods of grasslands - current status and future directions” organized by Dr. Wheeler will be held at the joint ESC/ESA/SEQ meeting this year. This conference will expose the project and solicit ideas. Plans will also be made for a more formal symposium at the ESC meeting in 2001.

2. Seasonal adaptations

Dr. Hugh Danks reported on papers on seasonal adaptations (Diversity and evolution of insect life cycles; Dehydration in dormant insects) published or in press. A section symposium is planned by Dr. Danks and Dr. Rick Lee (Ohio) at the joint ESC/ ESA / SEQ meeting in Montreal in December, entitled “Water relations and winter survival in insects”. The international insect and plant cold hardiness symposium will take place in Victoria during May-June, including a treatment of “Insect cold hardiness in northern Canada”. Dr. Danks reported that specific cooperative work at the University of Victoria is now proceeding in earnest.

3. Insects of Keewatin and Mackenzie

Dr. Doug Currie confirmed that an expedition, which leaves on July 16, 2000, includes five participants who will paddle 620 km down the Horton River from Horton Lake to the Beaufort Sea, collecting both aquatic and terrestrial insects along the way from this relatively unsampled area. If the project is successful an expedition farther east will be considered next season (e.g. Coppermine) and potentially still farther east after that. A report of the expedition will be submitted for the Survey’s newsletter.

Other scientific priorities

1. Arthropod fauna of soils

Dr. Valerie Behan-Pelletier announced that the 50th annual acarology summer program will be held this summer at Ohio State University [see www.biosci.ohio-state.ed/~acarolog/summer.htm]. Dr. Behan-Pelletier provided citations or circulated various books, publications and other documents relevant to soil arthropod biodiversity. She outlined activities of various relevant societies. The Soil Ecology Society, a North American Society, has a new web site [http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/ses/ses.html]. The XII International Colloquium on Soil Zoology will be held 14-18 August 2000 in the Czech Republic (see: http://www.jcu.cz/~upb/icsz.htm). The Acarological Society met last fall during the ESA annual meeting. A symposium at the joint 2000 meeting, organized by Dr. Behan-Pelletier and Dr. Hans Klompen, is entitled “Soil mites: systematics, diversity and ecology in four dimensions”.

Dr. Behan-Pelletier continues to collaborate in a number of projects studying mite diversity and ecosystem function, e.g. the Montane Alternative Silvicultural System (MASS) project in British Columbia, the tall-grass prairie in Konza, and the La Selva project in Costa Rica.

2. Old-growth forests
Discussions about organizing a symposium on old-growth forests to amalgamate the various work being done throughout the country and determine if something original can be produced are continuing. Dr. Geoff Scudder reported on some of his work in old-growth forests.

Dr. David Larson described a unique forest in Newfoundland that abuts on to Gros Morne National Park. It consists of old fir trees of a variety of ages, apparently without records of past fire or insect kills. The forest seems to be replacing itself through individual tree senescence. A pulp company’s plan to log this area has been challenged, apparently the first time that this has happened in Newfoundland.

3. Invasions and reductions
Dr. Scudder and Dr. Bob Foottit are considering a book of edited contributions on arthropod bioinvasions, to look not only at science issues but also at societal issues, such as data handling, quarantine legislation and procedure. There is wide interest in this topic in a number of agencies.

Dr. Steve Marshall emphasized his view that the invasive species issue is a good way to attract support for collections because the first line of detection is through collections and their continued addition to and care. Although a monitoring program can be effective for a relatively narrow target group, the more general approach of developing insect collections is the best way to detect unexpected new invaders.

4. Endangered species
Dr. Marshall had recently joined the Committee on Status of Species at Risk in Ontario, where there appears to be much interest at the provincial level.

The Committee discussed the desirability of adding invertebrates to endangered species lists. For example, if invertebrates are considered for listing, funds should be available for study, but once insects are put on endangered species lists entomologists may not be allowed to collect them for study. There is concern about this issue in Quebec, Ontario and elsewhere. Moreover, the likelihood of being wrong that a species is endangered is relatively high because knowledge is limited and some species of insects come and go in cycles. Nonetheless, listing species that are rare or have restricted ranges provides a means to obtain protection for their habitats, such as headwaters and springs.

5. Survey web site
Dr. Danks reported that despite some difficulties, work on the Survey’s revised website has continued, and the new draft site is substantially changed and expanded from the older one. For example, English and French are now entirely separate, the layout and lettering have been redesigned and there are additional images. The site will include a home page, a site map, links to selected relevant web sites, and a variety of general information about the Survey including more information about Scientific Committee members. An internal search capability is being added. Newsletters will be available in electronic form, as will all the Survey briefs. Selected scientific publications, notably the books Insect Dormancy and Insects of the Yukon will be posted. Another new feature will be an interactive searchable database of personnel, based on updated records for the Survey’s Annotated List of Workers. The grasslands project will be highlighted as a scientific project. Finally, information about the Survey’s project on faunal analysis and availability of expertise will be provided.

Dr. Danks added that the site will continue to reside on the University of Alberta server through cooperation with the Entomological Society of Canada. It had been hoped that the Survey’s site could be organized as a smaller hub on the CMN’s web site with larger amounts of data remaining on the University of Alberta server, but the Museum is not yet in a position to provide this service.

6. Funding for biodiversity projects
Dr. Wheeler reported that the first section of this brief, consisting of tips on preparing grant applications, has been revised. Additional entries as to sources of funding are also available. The core data will be on the McGill University site, with the introductory material and a link on the revised Survey website.

7. Error rates in identifications
Dr. Marshall reminded the Committee that there is a lack of quantitative data about this issue. He had drafted an article which takes a general approach to looking at factors affecting error rates, such as the availability of reference collections, intrinsic difficulties of different keys, availability of regional works, experience and innate ability of identifiers. The article also makes a few recommendations which should be useful to people planning projects. The article will be submitted to the Biological Survey Newsletter.

8. Brief on geographic data standards for specimen labels
Dr. Wheeler reported that a draft of this brief is almost complete. The brief will include both general guidelines and standards, and specific information of practical use, such as suppliers, source numbers, and printer settings. A final draft of the brief will be prepared before the October meeting of the Committee.

9. Brief on the value of proper biodiversity studies
The late draft of a brief entitled “Terrestrial arthropod biodiversity projects – building a factual foundation” was well received by the Committee, and with a few adjustments will go forward for publication by the Survey [see Biodiversity brief published ].

10. Monitoring of continuing priorities for work on Canadian faunas
Updated information on earlier or currently less active Survey projects was reviewed, including arthropods of peatlands, aquatic insects of freshwater wetlands, arthropod fauna of springs, arthropod ectoparasites of vertebrates, arthropods of the Yukon, mountain faunas, arthropods of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), climatic change, and agroecosystems.

Specific work on the insects of Newfoundland is also in progress. Dr. Larson reported that he is assembling literature records for all insect species that have been recorded in Newfoundland, as well as a survey of what is held in local collections. Some identification keys are being developed. In due course, it is hoped to document the fauna and to have keys to all the taxa on the islands by developing the study further.

11. Other priorities
The Committee also discussed other scientific priorities such as damaged ecosystems, faunal analysis, and Survey publicity.

Liaison and exchange of information

1. Canadian Museum of Nature
Dr. Joanne DiCosimo, President, Canadian Museum of Nature, reported that much of the Museum’s energy is now being focussed on the refit and renewal of the Museum’s public display building, the Victoria Memorial Museum Building in Ottawa. This will be a $54-million program of which $43 million will be spent on necessary infrastructure repairs. Provided Treasury Board funding is committed, the Museum will launch a private-sector campaign focussed on gallery development and visitor amenities. The private sector campaign will include a fund to support the automation of the collections records, support for the Canadian Centre for Biodiversity and three gallery projects on fossils, oceans and human biology and physiology.

The next major exhibition, to be opened on June 14, is an exhibit of Dr. Roberta Bondar’s photographs of Canada’s 41 national parks. In September an exhibit called Animal Athletes coincides with the Olympics and highlights the remarkable physical achievements and attributes of animals.

The Museum’s web site (www.nature.ca) is undergoing a redesign and the revised site will be launched on May 10; traffic has increased about 800% on the CMN web site over the last five months. The national museums, including the CMN, will be hosting a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on International Museums Day, May 18, with a theme of the role of the national museums of Canada.

Ms. DiCosimo concluded by noting that the Museum is reviewing its strategic plan established three years ago, and a collections development plan is also being formulated over the next 8-12 months. Consultations are planned with other museums, universities and government agencies.

Dr. Mark Graham, Director, Research Services, reported that NSERC has agreed to lead a workshop (June 2-3 in Ottawa) to identify issues and consider best practices for granting agencies with respect to issues surrounding collections that go into museums.

Dr. Graham described how, with the Canadian Museums Association, the Museum is trying to find a way to emphasize the importance of museums in doing natural history research. Currently there is no easy way to use the information for various purposes (lobbying, student research, general public, etc.). With the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) the Museum is putting together a survey to solicit information from all natural history museums about what research they do or support in Canada.

The Federal Biosystematics Partnership is developing a position for Canada relating to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This new international initiative aims to coordinate systematics and informatics activities around the world.

Dr. Graham also noted the Macmillan Coastal Biodiversity Workshop (Bamfield Marine Station), a report on Building Excellence in Science and Technology: The Federal Roles in Performing Science and Technology, Environment Canada’s effort to prioritize biodiversity issues under their Canadian northern ecosystems initiative, and the Biota of Canada information network workshop.

2. Biological Resources Program, ECORC
Dr. Ian Smith reported on behalf of Dr. Jean-Marc Deschênes, Director, ECORC. The core of a proposal to renovate and retrofit the Neatby Building, to become a first-class collection facility for entomology, botany and mycology, should be completed soon for submission to Treasury Board.

Dr. Smith reported that he and Dr. Deschênes have attended the meetings of the interim steering committee for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility on behalf of the Federal Biosystematics Partnership. Important decisions have to be made regarding financial commitments at the government level. At the next meeting of the interim steering committee, probably near the end of this year, it should be clear whether GBIF will have enough committed members to become operational and whether or not Canada would join.

Dr. Smith and Mr. Larry Speers are involved in the steering committee for the North American Biodiversity Information Network, a group set up under the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) under NAFTA. Canada might become more involved in this North American bioinformatics initiative. Within that context the base for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is being broadened with Mexico as a full partner.

Dr. Smith and Mr. Speers have been leading a working group to form a Biota of Canada information network. A report of the March workshop referred to by Dr. Graham will include a costed workplan, involving a variety of partnerships, to improve the Canadian content of ITIS and to demonstrate the applications of digitized collections data.

Dr. Smith and Mr. Speers have also been promoting the idea of a national conference on biodiversity science and bioinformatics in order to develop an action plan for Canada. A broadly based steering committee is being formed to promote a national conference early in 2001; Dr. Peter Hall (former executive director of the Canadian Environmental Network) has been appointed as conference manager. A potential biodiversity strategy document would be circulated in draft before the conference. Dr. Scudder circulated a document from the Biodiversity Science Board, released at the EMAN national science meeting in January. It is a commentary entitled “The Biodiversity Science Problem in Canada: An Unrecognized Crisis”. It has been widely circulated to societies and politicians and the information used to promote the national conference.

Dr. Foottit reported that discussions will soon begin about renewal of the scientific workforce at ECORC. A number of current staff are approaching retirement age and there is also a concern about lack of resources to curate the collections. Dr. John Huber pointed out that the average age of the scientists at ECORC is 53; the average age of the technical staff is 48.

Dr. Smith reported that a server is being set up at ECORC to provide digital information on the Canadian National Collection and other digital information such as the butterflies of Canada project.

3. Entomological Society of Canada
Dr. Dan Johnson, President, Entomological Society of Canada, reminded the Committee about the joint meeting of the ESC/SEQ/ESA in Montreal in December. Dr. Johnson reported that he had attended a meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) in November. The Entomological Society of Canada has joined as the 60th society member, the only Canadian organization to do so. Dr. Johnson mentioned another meeting he had attended last week (a tribute to Ernst Mayr) that included many notable speakers. Dr. Johnson also noted the Diversitas International Biodiversity Observation Year 2001-2002, a review of how Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs in Lethbridge link to the recently introduced Species at Risk legislation, and the forthcoming Executive Council meeting of the ESC.

4. Canadian Forest Service
Dr. John Huber, on behalf of Dr. Ben Moody, reported from the Canadian Forest Service. As part of the Federal Biosystematics Partnership, Forestry was asked to produce a document on biosystematics and bioinformatics needs in Forestry. This draft was released in January to the FBP: a portion of the report deals with problems of informatics, such as databasing collections. The document also itemized the kinds of taxonomists that the Service needs. The document is intended to be one part of a larger document to be published by the FBP. Dr. Huber reported that Dr. Ole Hendrickson has been seconded from the Canadian Forest Service to Environment Canada for two years.

5. Canadian Wildlife Service / COSEWIC
Dr. Theresa Fowler, CWS, reminded the Committee that Bill C33, the Species at Risk Act, has been tabled. Copies of the Act and accompanying kits were made available. Dr. Fowler pointed out that this legislation is one component of the national program to deal with endangered species; the others are the national accord signed by all the provinces and territories except Quebec, and the stewardship program. The stewardship program is intended to save habitat through voluntary cooperation The endangered species bill is being criticized as being too tough by some and as too weak by others.

Dr. Fowler reported that none of the species listed by COSEWIC to date will be officially considered for listing under the bill until they have been reassessed by COSEWIC using new criteria. The COSEWIC Secretariat, housed at Environment Canada, now has more human resources. A meeting of COSEWIC in May will concentrate on reassessments using the new criteria, which are based largely on the IUCN criteria. Under the new legislation COSEWIC produces a list of assessments, which are made public, and the species at risk and recovery plans are then determined by politicians. Dr. Fowler said that 34 new or updated status reports are available but these will be considered at the May meeting only if all the reassessments are completed. Unfinished business will be postponed to a second meeting in the fall.

6. Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN)
Dr. Peter Hall, Partnerships Coordinator, Environment Canada, reported that EMAN has re-established the interdepartmental committee on monitoring and assessment. EMAN is continuing to develop its core variables for ecosystem monitoring. This spring a collaborative pollution gradient study with the Canadian Forest Service will look at forest conditions to determine the applicability of the core variables in a field setting. The vegetation monitoring protocols are being distributed to a variety of groups. A strategy document about the EMAN early warning system is being written.

7. Parks Canada
Mr. Stéphane Greffard, Ecological Assessment Officer, highlighted the recent release of the report from the panel on ecological integrity, which analyzed the capacity of Parks Canada to conserve ecological integrity in Canada’s national parks (see http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/EI-IE/index_e.html). Several commitments were made as a result. For example, ecological integrity should be the centrepiece of future decisions, there should be more partnerships with aboriginal people, and wilderness areas should be set aside this year in Yoho, Kootenay and Jasper national parks. Other initiatives include the development of a national science strategy with more connections with universities and other science-based agencies, national staff training and orientation on ecological integrity, and the prohibition of new ski hills and golf courses in national parks. A national advisory committee will be established to monitor the implementation of the report.

Members of the Committee discussed extensively the Survey’s initiatives a few years ago concerning studies of insect diversity in national parks and concerning permit procedures for insect collecting in national parks. Also, a number of parks with grasslands are now especially relevant for the Survey’s grasslands project. Mr. Greffard had not heard of these initiatives, but confirmed that he would be willing to initiate discussions, and as a first step information about the earlier initiatives would be sent to Mr. Greffard by the Survey Secretariat.

8. Parasitology module, Canadian Society of Zoologists
Dr. David Marcogliese, Parasitology module, reported that work on the EMAN protocols for the inventory and survey of parasites continues (see www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/research/protocols/99_frespara/). The national stickleback parasite survey is an official IBOY project.

The Canadian Society of Zoologists annual meeting is May 2-6 in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. The meeting includes a symposium organized by Dr. Marcogliese called “Life in the middle of the food web - larval parasites in small fish”. The CSZ meeting in 2001 will be held in Sudbury.

Dr. Marcogliese circulated a number of publications on parasites, and other information relevant to the diversity of invertebrates and its study. He noted that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is hiring a parasitologist in Nanaimo, replacing Dr. Mike Kent.

Secretariat activities

Ongoing operations of the Biological Survey Secretariat were reviewed, including clearing-house and coordination roles, research and other items, and Dr. Danks’ travels to entomological centres on behalf of the Survey to exchange information about relevant work. In 1999, visits were made to Victoria BC; Edmonton and Lethbridge AB, Saskatoon SK, Winnipeg MB, Hull QC, Fredericton NB, Halifax NS and Charlottetown PEI. Seminars and lectures presented, in addition to more-or-less informal treatments of the Biological Survey, included: Winter habitats and ecological adaptations for winter survival; Diversity and evolution of insect life cycles; Are the life cycles of polar arthropods flexible or programmed?; Arctic insects as indicators of environmental change; Intrinsic elements of insect diapause; and Insect biodiversity: some current themes and requirements. Lectures were also presented in Japan on the fauna and flora of Canada, Canada and its insect fauna, the control of insect dormancy, and the diversity of dormancy responses in insects.

Other items

1. Regional developments
Members of the Committee summarized information from different regions of the country. For example, in British Columbia, Dr. Scudder reported that the Hemiptera catalogue is now in press (NRC Press). He is in the last year of a five-year grant to work on databasing and documenting sensitive species. The B.C. identified wildlife strategy may be of use to have habitat protected. Restoration research and study in Osoyoos continues. A meeting of the Grasslands Conservation Council is scheduled in the Okanagan Valley in May to highlight the idea of biodiversity ranching. At the same time, the Environment Minister will announce a new project for conservation planning in the south Okanagan. The University of British Columbia collections still have no support but a fundraising initiative is being developed for the biodiversity centre which will include support for the collection including post-doctoral fellows, curators, and relocation of the collection into a new building. Proposals for two millennium chairs at UBC (in biosystematics and conservation biology) from the Biodiversity Centre are advancing. Forest Renewal British Columbia (FRBC) funding is becoming difficult to obtain and tight deadlines are being imposed.

For the prairies, Dr. Floate reported that the planned expansion of the research centre at Lethbridge is now officially set to go ahead and work should begin in June or July 2000. An outbreak of the cabbage seed pod weevil is anticipated this year. Dr. Rob Roughley is considering the feasibility of building an insect record catalogue from Aweme, MB. A study is in progress on the impacts of grazing intensity on vegetation structure and insect communities in the Onefour area of southeast Alberta. Other studies on birds and insects, and grasshopper and spider species sampling, were noted. Several studies dealing with the effects of fire, including spiders of Manitoba tall-grass prairie, and other studies in Alberta and B.C. (as well as Ontario) were noted.

In Ontario, Dr. Currie reported that the Royal Ontario Museum is going through a master planning process, at the same time as a search for a new director. Student work on various systematics projects is ongoing there. Dr. Marshall reported survey work on the Bruce Peninsula, and a long-term inventory continues in Point Pelee. He also continues work in the Ojibway prairie. As of last November the Guelph collection has a full-time professional curator, and as a result the level of curation of the Guelph collection has improved greatly. A project on handbooks to easily identifiable Ontario insects was briefly discussed and will be considered in more detail at the next meeting. Dr. Bob Anderson reported on the CMN’s Nature Discovery Fund which has made its first award [see Nature Discovery Fund makes first award].

In Quebec, Dr. Wheeler reported that Dr. Mike Sanborne, formerly of the Lyman Museum and a former member of the Committee, died last summer. Planning for the joint ESA/ESC/SEQ meeting continues. The SEQ had its annual meeting in Hull last October; the theme was biodiversity. Dr. Wheeler described various large-scale diversity projects in Quebec, including forest survey work (especially post-ice-storm) and insect and plant diversity along highway margins. A Canada Foundation for Innovation grant has resulted in renovations and additions to McGill field stations, a new GIS server, software and workstations, new insect cabinets and drawers. Databasing of the Orthoptera holdings continues for the Biota of Canada project. Several students are working on the systematics of Diptera. Dr. George Hsiung, the Lyman Museum curator, is retiring after 30 years, and will be replaced by someone at the Msc. level.

For Newfoundland and the Maritimes, Dr. Larson reported that at Memorial University, Dr. Murray Colbo is doing a mosquito survey as part of a West Nile encephalitis study and Dr. Roger Pickervance continues his study on the spiders of Newfoundland. Only a few graduate students are doing insect-related work. The Newfoundland insectarium has been open for over a year and has been well received by the public and the media. A paper was published recently about the beetles of Brunette Island. Dr. Donna Giberson reported that the Atlantic Dragonfly inventory group is meeting in August in southern Nova Scotia. Dr. Giberson is completing her 10-year project on the benthos of Cataran Brook, in central New Brunswick. As of January 1, 2000 the University of Prince Edward Island has a graduate program and there are now four graduate students in biology with the hope of more starting in September. There is a shortage of honey bees in parts of the Maritimes, especially on PEI, with implications particularly for blueberry producers. The Acadian Entomological Society meets in Charlottetown this summer.

2. Other matters
The Committee also considered recent Survey publications, especially the revived Grasslands newsletter, the annual report to the Canadian Museum of Nature, a letter sent after the last meeting to the Editor of The Canadian Entomologist concerning systematics papers, liaisons with organizations outside Canada and information on further publications of various sorts. The Annual General Meeting of members of the Biological Survey Foundation also took place.