Adam Brunke » Biodiversity in Focus Blog

The latest volume of the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification was published recently and is the first in a series on the Staphylinidae of Eastern Canada. Coordinated and authored by Adam Brunke, this first volume provides a key to all of the rove beetle subfamilies and tribes of the Staphylininae found in eastern Canada (and adjoining US states, termed ECAS by Adam). In addition to these keys, Adam has treated the species of the Staphylinina, and has plans to further coordinate and complete the treatment of the eastern Canadian Staphylinidae in due time (it might take awhile considering the rove beetles are the largest family of animals in the world). With plenty of stunning images and an unconventional key structure designed to increase usability for even the most novice of entomologists, Adam is well on his way to bringing these tiny yet important beetles into the public!

Xantholinus elegans by Dave Cheung Staphylinidae Insect Beetle

Photo by Dave K.B. Cheung

Reference

Brunke, A., Newton, A., Klimaszewski, J., Majka, C. and Marshall, S. 2011. Staphylinidae of Eastern Canada and Adjacent United States. Key to Subfamilies; Staphylininae: Tribes and Subtribes, and Species of Staphylinina. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No. 12, 20 January 2011, available online at http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bnkmm_12/index.html, doi: 10.3752/cjai.2011.12. (Open Access)

I’d like to welcome Adam Brunke to Biodiversity in Focus as a special guest blogger today. Adam is a graduate student at the University of Guelph, and studies the diversity and agroecology of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in Ontario.

North America’s insect fauna is changing rapidly. Many of us, however, are completely unaware of this: flies still land on our food, mosquitoes continue to feed on us and carpenter ants show up every year in our kitchens looking for something to eat. The truth is, something strange is happening to the insect communities in our backyards. So many foreign invaders have become established on this continent that it’s becoming a challenge in some places to find native species. In my experience this is especially apparent for beetles: firstly because there are so many exotic species here now; secondly because this is the group that I specialize in. If you casually surveyed your neighborhood for beetles, and sent the sample 100 years into the past to a taxonomist working in North America, they would probably complement you on your excellent reference collection of European Coleoptera!

Photo by Dave K.B. Cheung

The Staphylinidae of Eastern Canada – CJAI Vol. 12

They Came from Over Seas – Guest Blog