124/150: Good Indicators of Water Quality, True Facts about the Fishfly

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Meredith Miller

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Nigronia serricornis (Say 1824)

Nigronia serricornis is neither a fish nor a fly, instead falling in the insect order Megaloptera (including both Fishflies, Alderflies and Dobsonflies or Hellgrammites). Females lay eggs in masses near open fast flowing water. Larvae are aquatic and predatory, feeding on insects and worms with their strong mandibles. Larvae grow slowly, taking up to 3 years to reach the final larval stage. When mature, larvae crawl onto land to pupae in soil or in rotting logs at the edge of streams, keeping their mandibles exposed for defense. The adults are dark brown, up to 5 cm long, with large wings that make them very clumsy fliers. Adults are typically non-feeding and live for up to a week, spotted flying around streams or around porch lights. Fishfly larvae only live in clear clean water, so they are commonly used as an environmental indicator species of very good water quality. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Adult specimen BBMEG045-10 -Manistee National Forest, Pines Point, Michigan, United States. Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics

Larval specimen ECCAC004-09 -York County, New Brunswick, Canada. Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: SWCHL586-15

nucleotide sequence

AACTCTTTATTTTCTCTTTGGTGCTTGGTCAGGTATAGTTGGAACATCACTTAGTTTATTAATTCGGGCTGAATTAGGGCAACCTGGTTCATTAATTGGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATGTTATTGTAACAGCTCATGCATTTGTAATAATTTTTTTTATAGTAATACCTGTAATAATTGGGGGGTTTGGAAATTGATTAGTCCCTTTAATATTAGGGGCCCCCGATATAGCATTTCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGTTTTTGACTTCTTCCTCCTTCATTAACCCTACTTTTATCAAGCTCTTTCGTTGAAAGAGGAGCAGGAACAGGATGAACCGTTTACCCTCCATTAGCTTCTGGGATTGCCCATGCTGGAGCTTCTGTAGATTTAGCTATTTTTAGCCTTCATTTAGCGGGGGTATCATCAATTTTAGGGGCAGTTAATTTCATTACTACAGTTATTAATATACGATCTCCTGGAATAACTTTTGACCGAATACCTTTATTTGTCTGATCTGTCGCAATTACAGCCCTGCTCCTTCTTTTATCTCTCCCTGTTCTTGCTGGAGCTATTACAATACTTTTAACTGATCGTAATTTAAATACATCATTTTTTGACCCTGCCGGAGGAGGTGACCCAATTCTATACCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFLFGAWSGMVGTSLSLLIRAELGQPGSLIGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPVMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSLTLLLSSSFVESGAGTGWTVYPPLASGIAHAGASVDLAIFSLHLAGVSSILGAVNFITTVINMRSPGMTFDRMPLFVWSVAITALLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNTSFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAA1274

95/150: I may be small, but I’m deadly in my tiny world!

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Zummara Tanwir

Animalia: Chaetognatha: Sagittoidea

Chaetognatha, commonly known as arrow worms are marine invertebrates that range in size from 2 to 120 millimeters. Arrow worms are fierce predators that locate their prey, typically copepods and other zooplankton, by detecting their vibration and then use their sharp hooks and teeth at the front of their bodies to grab and immobilize their prey with neurotoxins. Continue reading “95/150: I may be small, but I’m deadly in my tiny world!” →

82/150: A ravenous bride; the female Praying Mantis is one of nature’s most ruthless predators!

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Linley Sherin

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae: Mantis: Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) is an insect species of the Order Mantodea which was accidentally introduced to Canada in 1899 from Europe. A common, and intimidating, fact about the Praying Mantis proves how insatiable the female is when pregnant, leading her to partake in sexual cannibalism. Continue reading “82/150: A ravenous bride; the female Praying Mantis is one of nature’s most ruthless predators!” →

4/150: Rainbows and Death in the Canadian Pacific

Posted on January 12, 2017January 13, 2017 by Danielle Wright

Animalia: Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Forcipulatida : Asteriidae: Orthasterias: Orthasterias koehleri (Deloriol, 1897)

Did you see Star Wars Rogue One? Don’t worry if you missed it! Our latest member of our Canada 150 posts is a Sea Star, and it’s a rogue one; the only species in its genus! An uncommon species known as the rainbow star or red-banded star, it is found along the North American coast of the Pacific Ocean at depths of up to 250 meters. Continue reading “4/150: Rainbows and Death in the Canadian Pacific” →