Locations of moose in northwestern Canada with hair loss probably caused by the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Five hundred two trappers representing 389 registered traplines in northern Alberta, northern British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory (Canada) responded to a questionnaire on the occurrence of hair loss and the winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) on moose (Alces alces). Results suggested that winter ticks may occur as far as 62 degrees N. Several sightings of moose with presumed tick-induced hair loss near Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory, suggest the possibility of introduction of this serious pest into the moose population in Alaska.     

Dystocia and cesarean section

We performed an anonymous seroprevalence survey of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection through HIV antibody testing of blood samples from 22,512 women aged 15 to 44 years receiving prenatal care in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory from Mar. 15 to Sept. 30, 1989. Of the samples six were confirmed to be HIV positive; this yielded a crude overall seroprevalence rate of 2.7 per 10,000 pregnant women (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0 to 5.8). All of the positive samples were from women 20 to 29 years of age; four were from Vancouver, one was from Victoria, and one was from elsewhere. The highest seroprevalence rates were among women aged 15 to 29 years in Vancouver and Victoria (7.2 and 9.4 per 10,000 pregnant women respectively). Thus, 1 in 1300 pregnant women in that age group in the metropolitan areas of British Columbia was HIV positive. Application of seroprevalence rates to the total female population in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory revealed that as many as 401 women had HIV infection in 1989. Our estimates likely represent the minimum. As a subset of women of childbearing age pregnant women are likely at lowest risk of HIV infection, and so the true number of women 15 to 44 years of age with HIV infection is probably several times higher. Our study has provided a baseline assessment and will be repeated annually to analyse trends in HIV seroprevalence among pregnant women in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.     

Phytosociological,bioclimatic and biogeographical classification of woody climax communities of western North America

Abstract. In this study, combining the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach with numerical methods (cluster analysis and principal coordinate ordination), woody climax associations of western North America are described, ranging from NW Baja California (Mexico) to Alaska (USA), and including some interior zones of Idaho and Montana (USA), Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory (Canada). 95 floristic associations are identified, and each is characterized by floristic combination, biogeographical range, and bioclimatic conditions.     

Blood parasites of blue grouse (Dendragapus Obscurus) in western North America

Three hundred thirty-three blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) were examined for blood parasites from 11 sites: southern Yukon Territory, southeast coastal Alaska, northern and central interior British Columbia, south coastal British Columbia, northcentral Washington, southcentral Oregon, northwestern California, eastcentral Nevada, northwestern Colorado, and westcentral Montana. Three species of protozoan parasites (Leucocytozoon lovati, Haemoproteus mansoni, Trypanosoma avium) and a splendidofilariid nematode (Microfilaria sp. B) were found in nearly all locations. Prevalence levels were consistently high for L. lovati (92%). The other hematozoa were found less frequently (H. mansoni 29%; T. avium 46%; and microfilaria 29%). The range of these parasites in blue grouse was extended to a more northern (Yukon Territory) and more southern distribution (Nevada than previously reported. Ranges were also extended to blue grouse populations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.     

Vegetation formations and associations of the zonobiomes along the North American Pacific coast: from northern California to Alaska

This phytosociological study, carried out according to the Braun–Blanquet method and supported by cluster analysis, describes Walter's zonobiomes along the North American Pacific coast between the California–Oregon state border and Alaska (USA), including some interior zones of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory (Canada). Twenty two floristic associations are identified and each is characterized by a unique floristic combination, a distinctive geographical range and particular bioclimatic or edaphic conditions.     

A new Leptographium species associated with the northern spruce engraver, Ips perturbatus, in western Canada

An undescribed Leptographium species was isolated from the spruce-infesting bark beetle Ips perturbatus collected from felled spruce trees and logs in northern British Columbia and Yukon Territory. Morphologically, this fungus is similar to L. abietinum and L. hughesii but differed in a number of characteristics (e.g. the arrangement of its conidiophores). The fungus grew optimally at 25 C on 2% malt-extract agar and showed a high level of tolerance to cycloheximide. Comparison of rDNA and beta-tubulin gene sequences also confirmed that this Leptographium species represents an undescribed taxon. Thus we described it as a new species, Leptographium fruticetum sp. nov.     

Sorex rohweri sp. nov. (Mammalia, Soricidae) from northwestern North America

Sorex rohweri sp. nov. is described on the basis of a series of specimens from the Olympic Peninsula and adjacent western regions of Washington State, USA, and southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has been misidentified as Sorex cinereus Kerr, 1792, which occurs in the Cascade Range in west-central Washington, in coastal British Columbia, and regions farther to the northeast. The new species is distinguished from S. cinereus by numerous morphological characters: differences in craniodental dimensions; different location and form of the medial tines of the upper incisors; presence of patent postmandibular foramina; different intensity and distribution of dental pigmentation; and different form of the glans penis, along with other details. The combination of characters also separates it from sympatric species of Sorex. Phylogenetic inference of cytochrome b sequences from two specimens of the proposed new species shows them to be distinct from Sorex cinereus and from five sympatric Sorex species, supporting their designation as members of a new species.     

Ectoparasitic insects of bats in British Columbia, Canada

One species of parasitic bug (Hemiptera : Cimicidae), 3 species of fleas (Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae), and 2 species of parasitic flies (Diptera : Nycteribiidae) were collected from 9 species of bats (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae) in southern interior and northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Female bats that return daily to maternity roosts were more frequently infested with both cimicids and ischnopsyllids than were male bats. Some differences in ectoparasite infestation can be attributed to differences in roosting behavior of the host. New national records for 2 parasite species, and 8 new host records are established for Canada.     

Widespread dispersal of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks collected from songbirds across Canada

Millions of Lyme disease vector ticks are dispersed annually by songbirds across Canada, but often overlooked as the source of infection. For clarity on vector distribution, we sampled 481 ticks (12 species and 3 undetermined ticks) from 211 songbirds (42 species/subspecies) nationwide. Using PCR, 52 (29.5%) of 176 Ixodes ticks tested were positive for the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Immature blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis , collected from infested songbirds had a B. burgdorferi infection prevalence of 36% (larvae, 48%; nymphs, 31%). Notably, Ixodes affinis is reported in Canada for the first time and, similarly, Ixodes auritulus for the initial time in the Yukon. Firsts for bird-parasitizing ticks include I. scapularis in Quebec and Saskatchewan. We provide the first records of 3 tick species cofeeding on passerines (song sparrow, Swainson's thrush). New host records reveal I. scapularis on the blackpoll warbler and Nashville warbler. We furnish the following first Canadian reports of B. burgdorferi-positive ticks: I. scapularis on chipping sparrow, house wren, indigo bunting; I. auritulus on Bewick's wren; and I. spinipalpis on a Bewick's wren and song sparrow. First records of B. burgdorferi-infected ticks on songbirds include the following: the rabbit-associated tick, Ixodes dentatus, in western Canada; I. scapularis in Quebec, Saskatchewan, northern New Brunswick, northern Ontario; and Ixodes spinipalpis (collected in British Columbia). The presence of B. burgdorferi in Ixodes larvae suggests reservoir competency in 9 passerines (Bewick's wren, common yellowthroat, dark-eyed junco, Oregon junco, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, Swainson's thrush, swamp sparrow, and white-throated sparrow). We report transstadial transmission (larva to nymph) of B. burgdorferi in I. auritulus. Data suggest a possible 4-tick, i.e., I. angustus, I. auritulus, I. pacificus, and I. spinipalpis, enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Our results suggest that songbirds infested with B. burgdorferi-infected ticks have the potential to start new tick populations endemic for Lyme disease. Because songbirds disperse B. burgdorferi-infected ticks outside their anticipated range, health-care providers are advised that people can contract Lyme disease locally without any history of travel.     

Two aberrant Tubificidae (Oligochaeta) from Pearl River in the People's Republic of China

The enigmaticIlyodrilus mastix Brinkhurst, 1978, andTectidrilus achaetus sp.nov. are described from the Guangzhou Reach of Pearl River, southern China. The first species is characterized by its greatly enlarged, eversible, feeding apparatus, and was previously known only from British Columbia, Canada.Tectidrilus achaetus is unique within the Tubificidae by lacking setae. A slightly modified definition of the, otherwise marine, genusTectidrilus Erséus, 1982 is provided.     

Effects of Soil Burn Severity on Post-Fire Tree Recruitment in Boreal Forest

Fire, which is the dominant disturbance in the boreal forest, creates substantial heterogeneity in soil burn severity at patch and landscape scales. We present results from five field experiments in Yukon Territory, Canada, and Alaska, USA that document the effects of soil burn severity on the germination and establishment of four common boreal trees: Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia, and Populus tremuloides. Burn severity had strong positive effects on seed germination and net seedling establishment after 3 years. Growth of transplanted seedlings was also significantly higher on severely burned soils. Our data and a synthesis of the literature indicated a consistent, steep decline in conifer establishment on organic soils at depths greater than 2.5 cm. A meta-analysis of seedling responses found no difference in the magnitude of severity effects on germination versus net establishment. There were, however, significant differences in establishment but not germination responses among deciduous trees, spruce, and pine, suggesting that small-seeded species experience greater mortality on lightly burned, organic soils than large-seeded species. Together, our analyses indicate that variations in burn severity can influence multiple aspects of forest stand structure, by affecting the density and composition of tree seedlings that establish after fire. These effects are predicted to be most important in moderately-drained forest stands, where a high potential variability in soil burn severity is coupled with strong severity effects on tree recruitment.     

Freshwater littoral copepods of British Columbia and Alberta (Canada)

This is part of an ongoing study on the freshwater littoral copepods of northwestern North America, comprising Alaska, Yukon, western Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. In this paper we report 13 species of calanoids and 16 species of cyclopoids found in 142 samples collected from northern British Columbia and Alberta on either side of the Rocky mountains. We discuss morphology and distribution of some of these species.     

New distribution records for Canadian Aleocharinae (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae), and new synonymies for Trichiusa

Fifty-four new Canadian provincial records of aleocharine beetles (Staphylinidae), including three new Canadian records and one new North American record, are presented. Of these, 33 are new provincial records for Saskatchewan, 14 for Alberta, two for British Columbia, three for Manitoba, two for the Northwest Territories and one for the Yukon Territory. The following are new Canadian records: Trichiusa pilosa Casey [formerly reported from Nova Scotia and Ontario as Trichiusa postica Casey], Acrotona recondita (Erichson) and the adventive Palaearctic Atheta nigra (Kraatz), which is also a new North American record. Bionomics information and new locality records are provided. The following new synonyms of Trichiusa pilosa Casey are established: Trichiusa atra Casey, Trichiusa monticola Casey, Trichiusa parviceps Casey, and Trichiusa postica Casey. The numbers of Aleocharinae remaining to be discovered in Canadian provinces and territories are discussed.     

Further contributions to the aleocharine fauna of the Yukon Territory, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

The aleocharine beetles of the Yukon Territory, Canada are reviewed based on material studied since the most recent survey of the territory in 2008. The present contribution recognizes a fauna of 125 species, of which 9 are new to science, 20 represent new territorial records and one represents a new Canadian record. Seventeen species are considered Holarctic, 6 introduced, and 2 species are of undetermined status (Holarctic or adventive). The Yukon fauna is classified in 32 genera and 8 tribes. The new species are: 1) Acrotona horwoodae Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 2) Atheta (Microdota) microelytrata Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 3) Atheta (Microdota) riparia Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 4) Atheta (Datomicra) whitehorsensis Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 5) Ocyusa yukonensis Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 6) Philhygra pseudolarsoniKlimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 7) Philhygra terrestris Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; 8) Boreophilia davidgei Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.; and 9) Boreophilia herschelensis Klimaszewski & Godin, sp. n.     

Plague as a mortality factor in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) reintroduced to Colorado

As part of a species recovery program, 129 Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) originating from British Columbia, the Yukon, Manitoba, and Quebec, Canada, and Alaska, USA, were reintroduced to southwestern Colorado, USA, from 1999 to 2003. Of 52 lynx mortalities documented by October 2003, six lynx, including a female and her 5-mo-old kitten, had evidence of Yersinia pestis infection as determined by fluorescent antibody test and/or culture. Postmortem findings in these lynx were characterized by pneumonia, ranging from acute suppurative pneumonia, to multifocal necrotizing pneumonia, to fibrinous bronchopneumonia. Histopathologic examination of lung revealed multiple areas of inflammation and consolidation, areas of edema and hemorrhage, and bacteria surrounded by extensive inflammation. Spleens had severe lymphoid depletion and hypocellular red pulp. Lymphadenomegaly was observed in only one plague-affected lynx. We hypothesize that these Canada lynx were exposed to Y. pestis by infected prey, and these are the first reports of plague in this species.     

Contributions to the faunistics and bionomics of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in northeastern North America: discoveries made through study of the University of Guelph Insect Collection, Ontario, Canada

Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles) from northeastern North America deposited in the University of Guelph Insect Collection (Ontario, Canada) were curated from 2008-2010 by the first author. The identification of this material has resulted in the recognition of thirty-five new provincial or state records, six new Canadian records, one new record for the United States and two new records for eastern Canada. All records are for subfamilies other than Aleocharinae and Pselaphinae, which will be treated in future publications as collaborative projects. Range expansions of ten exotic species to additional provinces and states are reported. The known distributions of each species in northeastern North America are summarized and presented as maps, and those species with a distinctive habitus are illustrated with color photographs. Genitalia and/or secondary sexual characters are illustrated for those species currently only identifiable on the basis of dissected males. The majority of the new records are in groups that have been recently revised, demonstrating the importance of curation and local insect surveys to the understanding of biodiversity, even for taxa and areas considered 'relatively well-known'.     

Classifying seedlots of Picea sitchensis and P. glauca in zones of introgression using restriction analysis of chloroplast DNA

Summary Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) restriction analysis was used to classify five reforestation seedlots as to species. The material included two Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.), one white spruce (P. glauca (Moench) Voss) from interior British Columbia, and two putative hybrid seedlots from the coast-interior introgression zone in British Columbia. The cpDNA patterns generated by Bam-HI and Bc1-I from individual trees of Sitka spruce, white spruce, western white spruce (P. glauca var. albertiana (S. Brown)), and Engelmann spruce (P. engelmanni (Parry)) were species-specific. They were used as reference patterns for comparisons. In addition, two controlled crosses between white and Sitka spruce were analyzed to demonstrate the paternal inheritance of cpDNA in spruces. The cpDNA restriction patterns for the five seedlots were obtained from composite samples of seedlings from each lot and compared to the typical cpDNA patterns of each species. Restriction patterns for the two Sitka spruce seedlots agreed with those from the Sitka spruce tree, while patterns for the white spruce seedlots from British Columbia agreed with those from the white spruce tree, lacking evidence of any Engelmann spruce component in the sample. On the other hand, one putative hybrid seedlot showed cpDNA patterns similar to white spruce while the other showed fragments unique to both Sitka and white spruce, indicating that this was a hybrid seedlot. The analysis of cpDNA restriction polymorphism has proven to be an effective tool for classifying seedlots in regions of introgression. To our knowledge, these results provide the first demonstration of the use of cpDNA analysis for solving practical forestry problems.     

A brief review of the fossil history of the family Rosaceae with a focus on the Eocene Okanogan Highlands of eastern Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada

Many of the oldest definitive members of the Rosaceae are present in the Eocene upland floras of the Okanogan Highlands of northeastern Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. Over a dozen rosaceous taxa representing extant and extinct genera of all four traditionally recognized subfamilies are known from flowers, fruits, wood, pollen, and especially leaves. The complexity seen in Eocene Rosaceae suggests that hybridization and polyploidy may have played a pivotal role in the early evolution of the family. Increased species diversity and the first appearance of additional modern taxa occur during the Late Paleogene in North America and Europe. The Rosaceae become increasingly important components of fossil floras during the Neogene, with taxa adapted to many habitats.