Ontario Provincial Parks Malaise Program Results!

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Crystal Sobel

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Back in 2014 we deployed Malaise Traps in 51 Ontario Provincial Parks with the help of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in a large experiment to assess arthropod diversity. We completed our analysis last year after sorting ~250,000 specimens and putting another ~750,000 through bulk analysis. That was a job indeed! Continue reading “Ontario Provincial Parks Malaise Program Results!” →

146/150: Engelmann’s Quillwort is under threat! Only 2000 left in Canada

Posted on December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 by Jaclyn McKeown

Plantae: Lycopodiophyta: Isoetopsida: Isoetales: Isoetaceae: Isoetes: Isoetes engelmannii (A.Braun.)

The Engelmann’s Quillwort (Isoetes engelmannii), also known as Appalachian Quillwort, is an aquatic plant found along shallow ponds, temporary shallow pools, roadside ditches and marshes. It is small fern that is 20-40 cm in height but can grow up to 90 cm. It has long, thin, hollow green leaves. It is uncommon but widespread throughout eastern North America. In Canada, it is native but only found in two locations in Ontario restricted to two rivers. For this reason, it is considered endangered in Canada. Habitat destruction, recreational activities, and pollution contribute to the threat to its population. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Specimen CCDB-23395-A02 – Ontario, Canada – 13-Sep-1989. Photo Credit: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Engelmann’s quillwort at the edge of a shallow pond. Photo Credit: W. Carl Taylor, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester.

Engelmann’s quillwort found in a river valley. Photo Credit: Alan Cressler goo.gl/t34fqJ

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: VASCB002-15

nucleotide sequence

GAGTGTTGGATTCAAAGCTGGCGTTAAAGATTACAGATTAAATTATTATACTCCTGATTATAAGACCAAAGACACCGATATTCTGGCAGCATTCCGAATGACTCCCCAACCCGGAGTACCACCTGAGGAAGCAGGAGCCGCAGTAGCTGCTGAATCTTCCACCGGTACATGGACCACTGTCTGGACCGATGGACTTACTAGCCTTGATCGTTACAAAGGTCGATGCTATGACATCGAACCCGTTGCTGGAGAAGAAAATCAATATATTGCCTATGTAGCTTATCCTTTGGATCTGTTCGAGGAAGGTTCTGTTACTAACATGTTCACTTCCATTGTAGGTAATGTATTTGGATTTAAAGCCTTACGAGCTCTACGTTTGGAAGATTTGCGAATTCCTCCTGCATATTCCAAAACCTTCCAAGGTCCACCTCACGGTATCCAAGTTGAAAGAGATAAATTGAACAAATATGGTCGTCCTTTATTGGGATGTACTATTAAACCGAAATTAGGTTTATCCGCTAAAAACTACGGTAGAGCAGTGTATGAATGTCTT

amino acid sequence

SVGFKAGVKDYRLNYYTPDYKTKDTDILAAFRMTPQPGVPPEEAGAAVAAESSTGTWTTVWTDGLTSLDRYKGRCYDIEPVAGEENQYIAYVAYPLDLFEEGSVTNMFTSIVGNVFGFKALRALRLEDLRIPPAYSKTFQGPPHGIQVERDKLNKYGRPLLGCTIKPKLGLSAKNYGRAVYECL

70/150: When you think of Ginseng do you think of Canada? You will after reading this!

Posted on June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 by Linley Sherin

Plantae: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliopsida: Apiales: Araliaceae: Panax quinquefolius (Linneaus)

Ginseng is a perennial herb whose root is highly prized and commonly refers to one of two varieties, American Ginseng (P. quinquefolius) or Asian Ginseng (P. ginseng). Both contain ginsenosides, which are the compounds thought to give ginseng its medicinal properties. Continue reading “70/150: When you think of Ginseng do you think of Canada? You will after reading this!” →

62/150: I can live in the dirt or in your home, I hitch-hike on insects and mammals alike, and have venomous pincers. What am I?

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Andrea Dobrescu

Animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae: Microbisium: Microbisium parvulum (Banks,1895)

Pseudoscorpions are rarely seen but are common arachnids that resemble tiny scorpions with their two large pincers and 8 legs. Unlike scorpions, they are 3 mm in size with no stinger. Using venom glands located on the mobile finger of their pincers they prey upon booklice, ants, mites and small flies. Continue reading “62/150: I can live in the dirt or in your home, I hitch-hike on insects and mammals alike, and have venomous pincers. What am I?” →

59/150: Snorkels & Pancakes for World Turtle Day!

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Goku Nagabaskaran

Animalia: Chordata: Vertebrata: Reptilia: Testudines: Cryptodira: Trionychidae: Trionychinae: Apalone: Apalone spinifera (Charles Lesueur, 1827)

Spiny softshell turtles have a unique leathery shell which causes them to sometimes be called the pancake turtle! They can reach up to 54 cm and have a distinguishable snorkel like nose that allows them to stay submerged underwater for long periods of time. Continue reading “59/150: Snorkels & Pancakes for World Turtle Day!” →

29/150: Save A Spider Day – The Spined Micrathena

Posted on March 14, 2017August 17, 2017 by Gergin Blagoev

animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida: Araneae: Araneidae: Micrathena: Micrathena gracilis (Walckenaer, 1805)

Micrathena gracilis is a moderately large orb-weaver spider from family Araneidae, commonly known as the spined micrathena. The females are typically black with white markings and have five pairs of black spines which are conical tubercles on the upper side of the abdomen. Continue reading “29/150: Save A Spider Day – The Spined Micrathena” →

Ontario BioBlitz at Riverwood Conservancy and the Credit River Watershed

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Angela Telfer

It’s that time of the year again – Ontario BioBlitz time! This year we will be surveying the Credit River Watershed. A number of BIO staff along with researchers, students and citizen scientists are volunteering their time this weekend – June 11 and 12^th, 2016 – to try to find as many species as they can. The event is hosted by the Riverwood Conservancy this year, in Mississauga at Riverwood Park. Continue reading “Ontario BioBlitz at Riverwood Conservancy and the Credit River Watershed” →

DNA barcoding and Malaise traps capture the remarkable diversity in Canada’s National Parks

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Kate Perez

Hi everyone!

As some of you may know, we here at BIO spend a great deal of our field work sampling in Canada’s beautiful National Parks. In fact, from 2012 to 2014, BIO and Parks Canada partnered up to complete a massive national barcoding project that aimed to map out the country’s arthropod biodiversity: the Canadian National Parks (CNP) Malaise Program. I spent a lot of time planning, organizing, and coordinating this project and am thrilled to finally have results! Continue reading “DNA barcoding and Malaise traps capture the remarkable diversity in Canada’s National Parks” →

The Real Damsels And Dragons Of Ontario

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Graham Ansell

Hello again faithful readers,

Last week I returned to the BIObus for more aquatic sampling. This time we visited sites within the Backus Heritage Conservation Area, Long Point Provincial Park, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (N.C.C.). Today I’ll be talking about the river damselflies that were almost ubiquitous across our sampling areas and some details about our time in Long Point and the N.C.C. Continue reading “The Real Damsels And Dragons Of Ontario” →

Plants, Plants, Plants, (and a caterpillar or two)

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Dan Engelking

Hey folks!

Last weekend was a very exciting couple days for me and everyone at BIO. This was because of the much awaited Bioblitz! For those of you who have never heard of a Bioblitz, I will give you a bit of an explanation. Continue reading “Plants, Plants, Plants, (and a caterpillar or two)” →