Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

California gall wasp, Andricus quercuscalifornicus (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini), a new species for Canada discovered through community science

2024-07-30T12:43:36+00:00

Biodiversity-focused community (a.k.a., citizen) science datasets can be valuable tools for understanding the distribution of species. These data are often generated by the public and curated by experts. While curating the Cynipoidea records on the community science platform iNaturalist.org, I found an observation of the first record of Andricus quercuscalifornicus (Bassett) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) for Canada. The record was contributed by a hobby naturalist who photographed a gall in her neighbourhood park in Victoria, British Columbia (BC), and uploaded the record to iNaturalist. I visited the park, collected and reared the inhabitants out of the galls, and identified the adults morphologically. At around the same time, another gall was found independently in nearby Saanich, BC. The galls from both Victoria and Saanich were collected from recently planted Quercus garryana saplings on municipal land, and the trees may have been transplanted while already infested with A. quercuscalifornicus. More research is needed to understand if A. quercuscalifornicus arrived in BC naturally or if it was introduced through the horticultural industry. This record provides another example of how community science can contribute valuable information to our understanding of species ranges.

Four new centipede records from Penticton, British Columbia, and a new centipede record for Alberta

2024-12-09T10:21:03+00:00

Myriapod knowledge in Canada is scarce, and is unequally distributed among the provinces and territories. Specimens from the Lyman Entomological Museum’s collection yield four new centipede records for British Columbia, including a previously unrecorded genus for Canada, and a new centipede record for Alberta. Known habits and past records of these species are examined, pointing overall at a need for greater myriapod studies in Canada.

A view from the mountain top: biodiversity of moths on Pink Mountain in British Columbia’s northern alpine tundra

2025-11-07T11:59:48+00:00

It is critical to take inventory of insect biodiversity, as a first step to create a baseline in which one can evaluate threats and implement measures to protect biodiversity in the face of the massive declines insects are facing around the globe. However, given the immense scale of this task it is important to prioritize the collection of insect biodiversity data for locations that are at greatest risk. Here, we focus our efforts on cataloging moth biodiversity in the northern alpine habitats of Pink Mountain, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Located in BC’s far north this unique sub-alpine habitat could be at heightened risk of species loss due to accelerated climate change impacts in the north, industry threats, and physical isolation. From 2014 to 2023, we collected moths in the sub-alpine habitat of Pink Mountain using various insect trapping methods (light traps, sweep netting, and interception traps). We identified species based on morphology and generated COI barcodes for select species that were difficult to distinguish based on morphology. Over 140 Lepidoptera species and 14 unique genera were inventoried from Pink Mountain, with moths from the families Noctuida (62%), Geometridae (13%), and Tortricidae (10%) being most abundant, respectively. Conservation status rankings are noted for species as applicable and digital records of all specimens have been deposited in the Canadian National Collection database for future reference.

Isobutanol and acetic acid are ineffective at attracting yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in southwestern British Columbia

2025-06-03T19:22:08+00:00

In two field-trapping experiments in British Columbia, Canada, western and northern yellowjackets, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure) and V. alascensis (Packard) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), respectively, were caught in traps baited with a heptyl butyrate-based synthetic chemical lure. Very few yellowjackets of either species were caught in traps baited with isobutanol and acetic acid. Catches of western yellowjackets were not increased by the addition of isobutanol and acetic acid to the heptyl butyrate synthetic lure, while catches of northern yellowjackets were decreased in one experiment. These results support an evidence-based reconsideration of the notion that multiple yellowjacket species throughout their geographic ranges are uniformly attracted to isobutanol and acetic acid.

Mass trapping of yellowjackets in an urban setting: an operational trial

2025-11-12T09:34:03+00:00

An operational trial for mass-trapping of yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) was run at the Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, British Columbia from 13 August to 10 September 2009, spanning the dates at which the fair was open from 22 August to 7 September. Seventy bag traps with a heptyl butyrate-based, 10-component emulsifiable concentrate lure were deployed, primarily in high-use areas of the fairgrounds. Over the four-week period 44,489 yellowjackets were captured, 98.6% of them western yellowjackets, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure). Only six honey bees, Apis mellifera L., were caught. Comments by fair workers and operators of food concessions strongly indicated that the trapping program reduced yellowjacket problems to insignificant levels. If implemented on a regular basis, such programs would increase enjoyment of outdoor venues, would reduce the likelihood of stings and the possibility of anaphylactic shock, and would provide evidence that due diligence was being practiced in protecting the health and well-being of workers and the public.

Two new Hydroptila (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) species records for British Columbia and Canada

2025-07-09T11:21:29+00:00

The caddisflies (Trichoptera), comprise a highly diverse, major aquatic insect order often used as an indicator of ecosystem health. Malaise trapping on the Stellako River, BC has revealed two new species records for BC and Canada, respectively – Hydroptila hamata Morton and Hydroptila argosa Ross (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) –. Our new records of these two micro-caddisflies also emphasize the importance of these diminutive insects that can be easily missed in monitoring and biodiversity assessments.