SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF DUNG BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH CATTLE DUNG IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND THEIR GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA

1998 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.D. Floate ◽  
B.D. Gill
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Southern Alberta

AbstractDung beetles (Scarabaeidae) were pitfall trapped at two sites in southern Alberta from 1993 to 1995. A 3-year total of 156 500 specimens representing 17 species was collected. Local assemblages were dominated, in descending order, by the exotic species Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linné), Aphodius prodromus (Brahm), Aphodius distinctus (O.F. Müller), and Aphodius fimetarius (Linné). Aphodius vittatus Say was the most common native species. Although adults were collected from mid-March to mid-November, the activity of individual species either peaked in the spring and again in the fall, or peaked once in spring to midsummer. Maps showing the Canadian distributions for 15 of these species were compiled from examination of collections and published records and identify 10 new provincial records. Most distributions are transcontinental, with the distribution of O. nuchicornis likely expanding only in the last 20–30 years to include Alberta and Saskatchewan. Aphodius erraticus (Linné) and Aphodius ruricola Melsheimer have not been previously reported from British Columbia. Aphodius pinguellus W.J. Brown, Canthon praticola LeConte, and Aphodius coloradensis Horn are restricted to western Canada.

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) associated with cattle dung on native grasslands of southern Alberta, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.D. Floate ◽  
N. Kadiri
Keyword(s):  
Exotic Species ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Total Catch ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Southern Alberta

AbstractSurveys of dung beetles establish the dominance of exotic taxa associated with cattle dung on native grasslands in southern Alberta, Canada. Of the 12 species recovered, eight were of European origin and comprised 92.2% of the total catch of 187 963 beetles. Most common wereChilothorax distinctus(Müller),Onthophagus nuchicornis(Linnaeus), andColobopterus erraticus(Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The abundance ofC. distinctushas been known in the region since the 1920s, whereas that ofO. nuchicornisonly was first reported in the 1990s. The abundance ofC. erraticushas not previously been observed in the region and identifies the species as the newest addition to the endemic fauna. The diversity of native species on pastures in southern Canada and adjacent states is depauperate, such that the establishment of European taxa has appreciably increased levels of bioturbation in pasture ecosystems. The success of these exotic species on northern pastures may reflect a level of cold-tolerance greater than that of most native species.

Impact of cultivars and herbicides on weed management in alfalfa

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Moyer ◽  
S. N. Acharya
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Forage Quality ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Downy Brome ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Standard Type ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Weeds, especially dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber in F.H. Wigg.), tend to infest a forage alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stand 2 to 4 yr after establishment. To develop better weed management systems, experiments were conducted at Lethbridge, Alberta, from 1995 to 2002 and Creston, British Columbia, from 1998 to 2001, which included the alfalfa cultivars Beaver (standard type) and AC Blue J (Flemish type) and annual applications of metribuzin and hexazinone. These herbicides are registered for weed control in irrigated alfalfa in Alberta and alfalfa grown for seed. In addition, two sulfonylurea herbicides, metsulfuron and sulfosulfuron, and glyphosate were included. All of the herbicides except glyphosate controlled or suppressed dandelion and mustard family weeds. Metsulfuron at 5 g a.i. ha-1 almost completely controlled dandelion at both locations. However, after metsulfuron application at Lethbridge, dandelion was replaced with an infestation of downy brome, which is unpalatable for cattle. None of the herbicides increased total forage (alfalfa + weed) yield, and in some instances herbicides reduced forage quality by causing a shift from a palatable to an unpalatable weed species. However, it was observed that AC Blue J consistently yielded more than Beaver, and weed biomass was consistently less in the higher-yielding cultivar. AC Blue J was developed primarily for the irrigated area in southern Alberta and for southern British Columbia. Therefore, additional experiments should be conducted to determine which alfalfa cultivars have the greatest ability to compete with weeds in other regions of western Canada. Key words: Alfalfa yield, dandelion, forage quality, weed control

Functional diversity and seasonal activity of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) on native grasslands in southern Alberta, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Kadiri ◽  
J.-P. Lumaret ◽  
K.D. Floate
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Core Species ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Native Grassland ◽  
Southern Alberta

AbstractTo characterise their functional diversity and seasonal activity, dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) were collected with baited pitfall traps at three sites for three years on a native grassland in southern Alberta, Canada. The total collection of 125 820 beetles comprised 12 species of which eight were of European origin. For each combination of site and year, assemblages were dominated by two or three core species of European origin that represented 70–95% of total beetles and more than 75% of total biomass, but only 10–30% of species richness. Core species consistently includedOnthophagus nuchicornis(Linnaeus) and occasionallyChilothorax distinctus(Müller) andColobopterus erraticus(Linnaeus). Coexistence of these core species appears to be facilitated by differences in their size, seasonal activity, and life history traits.

The waterweeds (Elodea and Egeria, Hydrocharitaceae) in Canada

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 1525-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Catling ◽  
Walter Wojtas
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Leaf Width ◽  
Egeria Densa ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Herbarium Material ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Sepal Length

A study of herbarium material of Elodea spp. and Egeria densa was undertaken to document status in Canada and to evaluate existing methods of identification. Except in Elodea longivaginata, nonflowering plants are 2 – 3 times more common than flowering plants and females are more common than males. Leaf width partially separates E. canadensis and E. nuttallii males but not females. The ratio of pistillate sepal length versus leaf width separates female E. canadensis from female E. nuttallii, but intermediates exist. Nonflowering plants with leaf widths of 1.8 – 2.2 mm are treated as unknowns. Bifid styles are characteristic of E. longivaginata. Keys, descriptions, and drawings based on Canadian material are provided. The introduced Egeria densa occurs rarely in southwestern British Columbia. Elodea longivaginata and E. nuttallii are both rare native species, the former occurring in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan and the latter occurring in southern Ontario and southern Québec, Nova Scotia, southern Manitoba, and southern British Columbia. Elodea canadensis is a widespread native species occurring throughout southern Canada.

Distribution of the species of the genus Oxyloma (Mollusca, Succineidae) in southern Canada and the adjacent portions of the United States

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 1607-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart A. Harris ◽  
Leslie Hubricht
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
The United States ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Continental Divide ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
The Common

Extensive collecting and dissecting of live material shows that eight species of Oxyloma occur in southern and western Canada. Oxyloma haydeni is the common species across the Prairies from northern Ontario to southern Alberta. Oxyloma kanabensis occurs west of Edmonton, east of the Continental Divide and north of Sundre, while O. nuttalliana occurs west of the Continental Divide in southern British Columbia. Oxyloma groenlandica is found in the Yukon Territory and in the intermontane valleys in interior British Columbia. Oxyloma hawkinsi occurs sparsely, centred in the Okanagan area, but also persists as a probable remnant of the Hypsithermal interval at Exshaw, Alberta. Oxyloma retusa and O. gouldi are confined to the southern portions of Ontario and Quebec.A new species, Oxyloma missoula, occurs in and adjacent to the areas occupied by the former Pluvial Lake Bonneville and Glacial Lake Missoula. All the species could have survived from before the last Wisconsinan ice advance since their distributions straddle the boundary of the glaciated area.

OF GROUND-BEETLES AND MEN: INTRODUCED SPECIES AND THE SYNANTHROPIC FAUNA OF WESTERN CANADA

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (S144) ◽  
pp. 151-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Spence ◽  
D. Hughes Spence
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Nursery Stock ◽  
Native Grassland

AbstractAssemblages of carabid beetles occurring in anthropogenic habitats in western Canada include native and introduced species. In this study, about 70% of the native species encountered in anthropogenic habitats have their main centres of abundance in native grassland. Twenty species known from British Columbia are of recent European origin. These species were probably introduced in ballast carried by commercial sailing vessels or in shipments of nursery stock. The species that have successfully colonized western Canada cannot be distinguished from a random sample of the estimated source fauna with respect to either taxonomic distribution or body size. However, all introduced species are characteristic of disturbed and/or anthropogenic habitats in Great Britain and are strictly synanthropic in British Columbia. Where they occurred, introduced species were usually numerically dominant members of anthropogenic assemblages. Both flight and human-assisted transport must be invoked to explain the patterns of range expansion observed for introduced species. Although the presence of introduced species was correlated with reduced diversity of native species, the carabid fauna of western Canada has been generally enriched because only one native species is strictly synanthropic.

Degree-day models for development of the dung beetles Onthophagus nuchicornis, O. taurus, and Digitonthophagus gazella (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and the likelihood of O. taurus establishment in southern Alberta, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 617-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.D. Floate ◽  
D.W. Watson ◽  
P. Coghlin ◽  
O. Olfert
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
European Species ◽  
Degree Day ◽  
Onthophagus Taurus ◽  
Southern Alberta

AbstractThree studies were performed to assess the likelihood of establishing the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus (Schreber) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in southern Alberta, Canada. This European species was first reported in Florida in the 1970s and now occurs as far north as Michigan, United States of America. Its ability to establish in Canada is unknown, but is desired to accelerate the degradation of cattle dung on pastures. The first study examined egg-to-adult development at temperatures of 10–32 °C (in increments of 2 °C) to develop degree-day models for O. taurus and for two other closely related species of dung beetles. Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linnaeus), used as a positive control, is a European species common across Canada. Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius), used as a negative control, is an Afro-Asian species whose distribution is restricted in North America to the southern United States of America. The second study examined the overwintering ability of O. taurus and D. gazella in outdoor field cages. The third study compared climate parameters between southern Alberta and the northernmost recorded distribution of O. taurus. Results combined across the three studies show that O. taurus can complete egg-to-adult development and overwinter in southern Alberta. However, high overwintering mortality is predicted to prevent establishment of O. taurus in the region.

A New Method for Allotting Effort to Individual Species in a Mixed-Species Trawl Fishery

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Westrheim
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
New Method ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Species Comparison ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Trawl Fishery ◽  
Rank 2

A new method is described which allots fishing effort to individual species in a multi-species trawl fishery in northern Hecate Strait, British Columbia. All-species effort and individual species' landings are arranged by depth in selected area–time cells. In each area–time cell, each species is allotted the all-species effort expended in the depth intervals containing the rank-1 (most) and rank-2 (next-most) landings of that species. Comparison of the new option method with the conventional qualification method indicated that the latter method underestimated expended effort, particularly for less important species. Trends in effort and CPUE did not differ appreciably among methods. The new option method is deemed to be superior to the conventional qualification method.Key words: effort allotment, multispecies trawl fisher, Hecate Strait, western Canada

Changes in Floristic Composition of Urban Bushland Invaded by Pittosporum undulatum in Northern Sydney, Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Rose ◽  
Peter G. Fairweather
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Community Pattern ◽  
Edaphic Conditions ◽  
Management Effort ◽  
Relative Cover ◽  
Native Species Richness

Differences in species composition of urban bushland sites that had been subjected to increasing degradation and progressive invasion of Pittosporum undulatum Vent. were assessed using nonparametric multivariate and other statistical techniques. Increasing suburb age was found to significantly affect community pattern as a whole, specifically through increased proportions of exotic species, decreased native species richness and sustained shifts in the relative importance of individual species. Older suburbs were typified by species that were mesic, fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant and adapted to relatively moist, nutrient-rich edaphic conditions. These species included P. undulatum and many invasive exotics. Many native species decreased substantially in rank importance with increasing suburb age, to the point of elimination in older suburbs. These included one vulnerable taxon (Tetratheca glandulosa Sm.). Overall community pattern was correlated with abundance of P. undulatum, fire and human disturbance. Relative cover of P. undulatum was found to be significantly correlated with increased proportions of exotic species and reduced native species richness and diversity. While most exotic species were concentrated within 30 m of the suburban edge, it is suggested that most management effort should be directed at those exotic species that commonly establish throughout bushland remnants. The study also provided an opportunity to test the application of the multivariate software package PRIMER in assessing environmental impact on vegetation communities.

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