An extensive study reveals previously undiscovered bee species while showing the importance of at-risk sand dune habitats in southern Saskatchewan.
Article content
An extensive study of bee and wasp biodiversity from the Canadian Museum of Nature reveals a previously undiscovered bee species while showing the importance of at-risk sand dune habitats in southern Saskatchewan.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Thomas Onuferko, an entomologist and research associate with the Canadian Museum of Nature, examined over 12,000 bee and wasp specimens from dunes in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, collected over four months in the spring and summer of 2019.
Article content
The study sheds light on changes to biodiversity in Canada’s prairie sand hills, which are increasingly being “stabilized” by plants that take root in the sand.
With warmer and wetter summers, the ecosystems within the sand hills are being threatened by increased vegetation from invasive plant species.
The specimens were collected with relatively simple techniques. Most were caught in coloured plastic bowls that were filled with soapy water while smaller numbers were collected in a hand-held insect net.
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Onuferko’s work shows that overall numbers of bee and wasp species did not change much among dunes at different stages of vegetative stabilization, but that the types of species and their relative abundances did change.
“Species that were not present on active dunes all of a sudden show up on stabilized dunes, and then some species on active dunes don’t show up on stabilized ones,” said Onuferko. He added that the abundances of wasps that habitat open sandy dunes, decreased with increased colonization of the dunes by plants.
The dunes in the southern prairies formed during glacial periods over two million years ago when grinding ice sheets reduced bedrock to silt, sand, and gravel. Some bees and wasps require dunes for nesting use and searching for mates. Predatory wasps also use them as hunting grounds.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Onuferko worked with study co-authors Dr. Matthias Buck, an expert on stinging wasps at the Royal Alberta Museum, and Jason Gibbs, an entomologist and bee expert at the University of Manitoba.
Thirteen areas were surveyed including the Great Sandhills Ecological Reserve and Douglas Provincial Park in Saskatchewan and Spruce Woods Provincial Park in southwestern Manitoba.
The team identified 374 species of bees and wasps among their samples. 150 of those species represent previously unknown records. There are 16 new records for Canada and several potentially undescribed species of bees and wasps.
New type of sweat bee discovered
Onuferko, Buck and Gibbs discovered a new type of sweat bee, which they named Lasioglossum onuferkoi. Sweat bees are found on evert continent except for Antarctica. Lasioglossum onuferkoi, however, has a relatively restricted habitat, which is why it had been previously overlooked.
Advertisement 5
Article content
Sweat bees don’t really look “bee like”, said Onuferko. The particularly small species is a greyish-blue, unlike the yellow and black bees that typically come to mind.
During his career, Onuferko has named several species of bees, but has never had one named after him — which he says is an honour.
Onuferko is likely to have collected the most specimens of sweat bees with approximately 360.
The results of the study are reported in the Royal Entomological Society journal Insect Conservation and Diversity.
“While the results are not really unexpected, this study illustrates that more work needs to be done in this region,” said Onuferko. “Now that we know more about the diversity of bees and wasps in these habitats, it might make sense to look at other understudied groups of insects, and this study provides a baseline for any future surveys.”
Spring subscription sale: Our in-depth and latest news journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For a limited time, you can get full online access to The Regina Leader-Post and The Saskatoon StarPhoenix, along with the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites, for just $40 for one year or $1 a week for 52 weeks. Support our journalism by subscribing today: The Regina Leader-Post.
Article content
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWGh0dHBzOi8vbGVhZGVycG9zdC5jb20vbmV3cy9zdHVkeS1vZi1iZWVzLWluLXNhc2thdGNoZXdhbi1zYW5kLWhpbGxzLXJldmVhbHMtbmV3LXNwZWNpZXPSAQA?oc=5
2023-06-25 15:08:05Z
CBMiWGh0dHBzOi8vbGVhZGVycG9zdC5jb20vbmV3cy9zdHVkeS1vZi1iZWVzLWluLXNhc2thdGNoZXdhbi1zYW5kLWhpbGxzLXJldmVhbHMtbmV3LXNwZWNpZXPSAQA
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
Join the Conversation