Insects of Alberta - Canadian Insect News

Canadian Insect News

	Jan. 1, 2023: (CBC) It might bug you, but Univ. of Manitoba's insect collection is key to understanding the world - The Univ. of Manitoba has 1 of the largest insect collections in the world. With ~3 million specimens the collection may help with...... (read article)
	Sept. 26, 2022: (CTV News) Canadian Food Inspection Agency raises alarm as Spotted Lanternfly pest nears border- The CFIA is asking Canadians to watch for an invasive insect that could spell disaster for the country's wineries & fruit growers. The spotted lanternfly... (read article)
	Jul. 6, 2022: (UCalgary News) Years of continued drought prove a pest for mosquito population in Alberta - It’s going to be a poor summer for mosquitoes in Alberta. Even though we have had a lot of rain & heat, a UofC mosquito expert says with the current 4 yr drought cycle..... (read article)
	Mar. 22, 2022: (Globe & Mail) Study examining wireworms and impact on southern Alberta farmers - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada is currently studying wireworms use of drone imagery to target problem areas and help farmers manage the pest's effects on crops ..... (read article)
	Jul. 16, 2021: (CTV News) It might be the story for a couple years': Grasshoppers devouring some southern Alberta farms - It's been a whirlwind season for farmers in southern Alberta who have had to deal with dry weather and extreme heat. Now, uninvited insects are..... (read article)
	Jul. 5, 2021: (CBC) Alberta has 7 species of cicada and they're among the loudest insects on the planet - Growing up in the eastern USA, Calgary naturalist Brian Keating enjoyed climbing trees to capture cicadas and keeping them as pets.... (read article)
	Jul. 5, 2021: (CBC) A growing buzz: Edmonton wasp, ant populations could double as a result of extended heat wave - As a prolonged record-breaking heat wave took its toll on Edmontonians, most bug populations have been thriving in the dry conditions ..... (read article)
	Jun. 10, 2021: (AlbertaPrimeTimes) Insects and pests have a place in the garden - Scientists estimate there are around 20,000 species of insects and 97% of those are either harmless or beneficial. Some of the beneficial insects pollinate the flowers on fruit trees and vegetables...... (read article)
	Nov. 5, 2019: (SFU) First fossil dragonflies from B.C. identified and named - Six fossil dragonfly species from the McAbee fossil site in B.C. have been examined and identified. The specimens are dating from about 50 million years ago and are the first from B.C. ... (read article)
	Sept. 4, 2019: (Calgary Herald) Calgarians irked by irritating influx of aphids - The current infestation of aphids in Calgary may become worse before improving, according to an expert on bugs. With the weather in August being warm and wet, the insects have ... (read article)
	Feb. 11, 2019: (CityNews) New insect found in B.C. caves could be a survivor from Ice Age - A newly discovered cave-dwelling species of insect found in British Columbia could be a survivor from the last ice age, scientists say. Haplocampa wagnelli, the arthropod found in a ... (read article)
	Jan. 17, 2019: (Morden Times) Incredible Creatures: Northern Migration - The Good and the Bad of Insect Range Expansion - Insect species all have their preferred habitat and range where they live. This is also dictated by weather conditions in which ... (read article)
	Aug. 24, 2018: (Calgary Herald) $30M insect farm planned for Balzac; company says bugs are 'the future of food'- The billions of squirming, wriggling larvae that will inhabit a new, $30 million warehouse facility near Balzac represent the future of farming, ... (read article)
	Feb. 8, 2018: (Windsor Star) New insect seen in Windsor is a first for Canada - On a July night near the Spring Garden Natural area, Tom Preney came across a small spotted insect that was attached to a spot light in his backyard. Luckily it caught his eye ... (read article)
	Nov. 29, 2016: (CBC) Invasive stink bug could cause major damage to Okanagan crops - B.C. residents are being asked by B.C. Tree Fruits Field Services to watch out for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. The stink bug is an introduced pest of fruit trees, grapes and ... (read article)
	Oct. 8, 2016: (CBC) Swarms of boxelder bugs cover homes in North York and Etobicoke - Box Elder bugs are invading Toronto in record numbers this year. They are attracted to warm sunny locations on the south walls of buildings. The good news is that they are harmless... (read article)
	Aug. 17, 2016: (CTV News) First case of Zombie fly parasite confirmed in B.C. honey bees - A Vancouver Island bee keeper could be the first to document the presence of the Zombie Fly in Canadian Honey Bees. Parasitized bees fly around at night and then die....... (read article)
	Feb. 19, 2016: (CBC) Canadian Mosquito Tests for Zika Virus Transmission Begin - A Canadian medical entomologist is now growing Zika virus in a university containment lab to test if native mosquitoes can be affected. The plan is to test twelve native species initially..... (read article)
	Jan. 29, 2016: (CBC) Canadian Mosquito Spread of Zika Untested - A research entomologist at Brock University is trying to determine if Zeka virus can been transmitted by native Canadian species of mosquitoes. A second invasive species is making its way north and.... (read article)
	Nov. 18, 2015: (Globe & Mail) Ancient giant wasp species discovered by British Columbia researcher - A scientist at the Royal British Columbia Museum collected a 53 million year old wood wasp at the McAbee fossil beds. He believes that ... (read article)
	Oct. 21, 2015: (CBC) Giant Bugs Invade Canadian Museum of Nature in New Exhibit - The Canadian Museum of Nature's latest exhibition "Outside the Box" includes larger then life size insect models, live specimens and numerous insect specimens from it collection..... (read article)
	Sept. 18, 2015: (CBC) Climate Change good news for Arctic mosquitoes, bad news for caribou - As a result of climate change, mosquitos are developing faster and becoming great pests to caribou who are forced to spend more time moving to avoid them..... (read article)
	Aug. 16, 2015: (Globe and Mail) Drought-stricken Forests in B.C., Alberta Face New Threat From Insects - Western Canada's worsening drought is having a effect on the regions trees. With less water available trees are more stressed and less able to protect themselves....... (read article)
	Dec. 28, 2014: (RT) Canadian Scientists Develop Trap To Lure Blood-sucking Bed Bugs - Canadian scientist at Simon Fraser University have developed a pheromone based trap which will be effective in the fight against bedbugs. It will be commercially available next year. (read article)
	Aug. 21, 2014: (The Western Producer) Bugs Don’t Get Recognition They Deserve - Hector Carcamo, an Agriculture Canada entomologist, kept a carabid beetle as a pet once. Spiders and ground beetles are among his favourite bugs as many of them....... (read article)
	July 23, 2014: (Globe and Mail) Why is Canada’s bee population in rapid decline? - A recently released report about the health of honey bees states that 58% of Ontario colonies did no make it through the winter. Colony mortality is attributed to a number of factors..... (read article)
	July 23, 2014: (CBC) Additional traps set in Memramcook for invasive insect: A lone Brown Spruce Longhorn captured in Memramcook, NB earlier this month may be a passenger from nearby highway traffic originating in Nova Scotia. The beetle has devastated... (read article)
	July 23, 2014: (CBC) Death by Insect sting rare, McMaster allergist says: La Prairie, Quebec Mayor Lucie Roussell, died Sunday after being stung 15 times by wasps while gardening at her home. An allergist at McMaster University said that death from insect venom.... (read article)
	July 21, 2014: (CTV) Don't let them bite: Why bed bugs are worse than ever: Bed bugs continue to be an increasing issue across Canada. In the last 5 years they have spread from Urban centers into less populated areas. There has been a 20% increase in reported infestations. (read article)
	July 17, 2014 (Niagara this Week): Invasive species of beetle threatens forests: The Emerald Ash Borer is slowly spreading and expanding its range in Ontario. An exotic species from asia, the beetle was 1st discovered in Detroit in 2002, since then is has spread north as far.... (read article)
	June 26, 2014: (Huffington Post) Whitecourt, Edmonton Overrun By Caterpillars: The ravenous forest tent caterpillar is busily defoliating trees in Whitecourt. Residents say this is the worst year they have ever seen. In Edmonton both Ash Cone Rollers and Box Elder leaf ...... (read article)
	May 16, 2014: (thestar.com) Ontario insect farm hopes to change the way we eat: 43 year old Darren Goldin's 2 daughters just can't get enough of the farm fresh food produced on their Dads farm. Next Millennium Farms' is a pioneer in the processing of insects into protein for human.... (read article)
	Apr. 15, 2014: (Global) Stink bugs in Ontario: How to recognize them and what to do if you find one: The Brown Marmorated Stinkbug is on the Ontario governments watch list. Originally imported from China in the mid-1990's the bug attacks both fruit and vegetable crops. (read article)
	Nov. 13, 2013: (UofA) Beetle Bait Could Help Save Alberta Pine Forests: Researchers at the University of Alberta are close to developing a pheromone based bait which can be used to trap Mountain Pine Beetles. The destructive beetles are now present in Alberta's pine.... (read article) Beetle bait could help save Alberta pine forests Beetle bait could help save Alberta pine forests
	Sept. 24, 2013: (CBC) Students from McGill University win $1MM for Insect Flour Idea: A team of MBA students from McGill University has won the one million dollar Hult Prize for social entrepreneurship for protein rich insect infused flour. (read article)
	Aug. 7, 2013: (Record-Gazette) Bees – How Sweet the Sound - Bees – honeybees the perpetuators of so many beautiful and necessary things in life – flowers – food. They have been in our part of North America – northern Alberta for, perhaps 100 years. But, bees and their worth ..... (read more)
	July 12, 2013: (Vancouver Sun) Ancient Insect Fossils Found in B.C. Hold Valuable Lessons Says Study - The fossilized remains of an extinct family of scorpion flies has been discovered near Cache Creek, BC. Researchers believe that the flies went extinct due to... (read article)
	June 19, 2013: (Cornwall Standard Freeholder) Killer Insect Bores into City Ash Trees - It is estimated that the Emerald Ash Borer has killed 30 million trees in North America. The insect has finally arrived in Cornwall and is expected to eventually kill most of the city's Ash trees. (read article)
	May 23, 2013: (The Telegraph) Sightings of Giant Water Bugs Reported - Its Giant Water Bug season again. The largest bug in the province shows up at parking lots after dark looking for a new home only to be picked up by a curious human instead. Be careful though, as they have a. (read article)
	Apr. 8, 2013: (CBC News) Monarch Butterflies Navigate to Mexico with a Simple Compass - Based on experimental results, Canadian scientists concluded that Monarch butterflies use only a simple compass and the sun to navigate their way to Mexico each year. (read article)
	Apr. 5, 2013: (CBC News) Asian Long-Horned Beetle Eradicated from Canada - Canada's food inspection agency announced that it's targeted eradication program has been successful in eliminating the Asian Long-Horned Beetle from Ontario. The last confirmed sighting of this..... (read article)
	Apr. 4, 2013: (CBC News) The Mountain Pine Beetle Will Eventually Reach Ontario - The Mountain Pine Beetle will slowly make its way across Canada in the next 20 yrs. Since the initial 1998 outbreak in British Columbia the beetle has spread west to Alberta. ..... (read article)
	Feb 23, 2013: (CBC News) 10 Invasive Species Threatening Canadian Habitats - Numerous non-native species are causing damage to Canada's ecosystems. Thee of the ten organisms discussed in this article are insects. Two originated in Asia and the third in Europe. (read article)
	Oct. 24, 2012: (Edmonton Sun) Alberta forest yields beetle species discovery for grad student - In the boreal forest of north western Alberta, Charlene Wood set out to study the dead and ended up discovering new life. The University of Alberta master’s ..... (read more)
	Oct. 16, 2012: (thespec.com) It doesn’t sting — but it stinks - They’re ugly, they smell, and for some reason they like Hamilton. The brown marmorated stink bug is a long name for an insect known for the cilantro like odour it gives off when squished. But its smell is probably ..... (read more)
	Oct. 13, 2012: (Canada.com) Alberta biologist thrilled by gift of extinct moth - A dead moth will be delivered to Tom Terzin any day now, which doesn’t sound like such a great gift. But to the University of Alberta biology professor, a popular exhibitor of some of the world’s ..... (read more)
	Oct. 10, 2012: (UofT news) Everyday evolution: insects and plants - Take a good look around on your next nature hike. Not only are you experiencing the wonders of the outdoors – you’re probably also witnessing evolution in action. New research from the University of Toronto ..... (read more)
	Oct. 9, 2012: (Olds Albertan) Hummingbird-like insect creates local excitement - At first Sandra Comer thought she witnessed the spellbinding movements of a tiny elusive hummingbird in front of her house, hovering above her flowers; its wings flapping in ..... (read more)
	Sept. 28, 2012: (CBC) Stink bug peril threatens Hamilton - In 2011 stink bugs consumed close to $37 million dollars worth of apples in the eastern United States. Unfortunately, one of them, the Brown Marmorated stink bug has now made its way to the Hamilton. Ontario area ..... (read more)
	Sept. 17, 2012: (Folio) Royal Society honours UAlberta standouts - In recognition of their outstanding scholarly and scientific achievements, four University of Alberta faculty members have been elected as fellows to the Royal Society of Canada, and a ..... (read more)
	Sept. 8, 2012: (CBC) Alberta forests threatened by pine beetle infestation - The Alberta government is looking to a neighbour for lessons on how to fend off a pine beetle infestation, which threatens the province’s forests and even its forestry workers. "They are pretty amazing ..... (read more)
	Aug. 29, 2012: (vicnews) European fire ants overrunning Oak Bay, B.C., no solution in sight -Very quickly Ben van Drimmelen’s hand is covered with European fire ants. One solid thump over a nest and the reaction was instantaneous - swarming and biting ...... (read more)
	Aug. 13, 2012: (Edmonton Sun) Benefits to big number of bugs - “The vast majority of bugs are either beneficial to us or kind of neutral. The number that are pests are actually amazingly low for their overall populations, but those are the ones we tend to notice,” said Mike Jenkins, ..... (read more)
	Aug. 6, 2012: (Ottawa Sun) Insect Ravaging Alfalfa Crops - An horde of insidious insects has been poisoning crops and using the drought to cover the crime. Potato leafhoppers, usually rare in Ontario, are ravaging alfalfa crops. Not content to merely feed on the alfalfa’s juices..... (read more)
	Aug. 1, 2012: (CBC) West Nile cases confirmed in Ontario and Manitoba - Health officials are warning people to take precautions against mosquito bites after three new cases of West Nile virus were identified. The illness is spread from birds to people through the bite of ..... (read more)
	Aug. 1, 2012: (CBC) Toronto mosquitoes with West Nile virus at record high - Toronto Public Health says the number of mosquitoes found to have West Nile virus is at a record high this summer, likely due to the warm weather. "This year the risk seems to be a bit higher..... (read more)
	July 31, 2012: (CBC) Invasive Japanese beetle devouring plants in Ontario - The Japanese beetle is destroying plants across Windsor Essex. The insect thrives in hot sunny summer weather so this year has been particularly good for the beetle but bad for farmers and gardeners. ..... (read more)
	July 2, 2012: (Owen Sound Sun Times) Emerald Ash borer confirmed in Grey County - The emerald ash borers has been spotted in Grey County and warden Duncan McKinlay says municipalities should move quickly to implement management plans. ..... (read more)
	July 5, 2012: (AGCanada.com) Rain Keeps a Lid on Some Bug Populations in Alberta - Rain makes grain but it apparently doesn't make bugs. Alberta Agriculture pest specialist Scott Meers in his latest Call of the Land interview says abundant moisture is keeping a lid on ..... (read more)
	Jun. 21, 2012: (CBC) Monarch butterflies make surprise appearance in central Alberta - The hearts of lepidopterists in Alberta are fluttering over a new kind of royal visit. An unprecedented migration of monarch butterflies has brought the fragile, orange-and-black ..... (read more)
	Jun. 4, 2012: (CTV) Will warm winter lead to more insect carried diseases? - Winter haters in some parts of Canada got a major break this year, with one of the mildest seasons in memory. But as we head towards summer, there may be a price to pay for the lack of the ..... (read more)
	May 16, 2012: (CBC) Canada's Butterfly Migration is Largest on Record - Butterflies have migrated across Eastern Canada this spring in unprecedented numbers, reflecting the warm winter throughout North America and raising alarm bells about what it might mean for other ..... (read more)
	May 11, 2012: (CBC) Bedbugs with Drug-resistant Bacteria Found - Residents of an impoverished area of Vancouver were infested with bedbugs carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, say researchers who warn doctors to watch out for the potential problem. The letter in ..... (read more)
	Apr. 27, 2012: (National Post) Winnipeg is Bracing for an Early Mosquito Invasion - With an early snow melt in Winnipeg this year Mosquitoes are expected to emerge sooner than normal. National Post reporter K. Carlson talks with Winnipeg city councillor S. Fielding about the city’s insect control branch’s larvicide program. (read article)
	Mar. 29, 2012: (CBC News) Bug Extract in Starbucks Touted as Healthy Alternative - Starbucks is listening to the consumer push for more natural foods. By using an extract made from the ground-up bodies of insects. This fact has gone viral after a vegan barista who works ..... (read more)
	Mar. 21, 2012: (CBC News) Mild Winter Weather will get bugs buzzing sooner - The onset of summer means longer days, warm, breezy nights — and a possible onslaught of winged pests dive-bombing onto the heads of Canadians. A record mild winter and projected warm ..... (read more)
	Jan. 30, 2012: (Grainews) Warm Weather, no Snow Mixed Blessings for Prairie Insects - Insect populations over wintering in Western Canada are likely enjoying the warmer-than-normal temperatures seen across the Prairies this winter, but the lack of snow cover could ..... (read more)
	Jan. 19, 2012: (CTV) Climate change brings alien species to Canada: study - Spurred on by climate change, alien species are invading Canada, but researchers and policy makers aren’t paying attention, according to a new report. The report, ..... (read more)
	Jan. 10, 2012: (thestar.com) Ontario’s Maple Trees Threatened by Longhorn Beetles, Environment Watchdog Warns - The iconic maple tree is at risk in Ontario unless the province does more to protect the species from the twin threats of long-horned beetles and climate ..... (read more)
	Nov. 20, 2011: (CTV) Pine Beetles Defying Anti-infestation Efforts in Alberta - Mountain pine beetles are still thriving in parts of Alberta and are spreading east despite $300 million and years of effort to thwart the tiny tree-killers. A new generation of bugs took flight this ..... (read more)
	Sept. 1, 2011: (CBC News) Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle Found in N.B. - The presence of the brown spruce longhorn beetle near a campground within the Kouchibouguac National Park in eastern New Brunswick was confirmed Wednesday by the Canadian Food Inspection ..... (read more)
	Aug. 31, 2011: (Calgary Herald) Alberta Pine Beetle not Fire Bug - Yet - An infestation of the dreaded mountain pine beetle into Alberta’s vast northern forests was nowhere near the areas where wildfires devastated communities and brought oil and gas operations to a ..... (read more)
	Aug. 28, 2011: (Ottawa Citizen) One in a Million: The Entomologist - For two years, Owen Lonsdale did his post-doctoral research at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where an entire floor was devoted to flies, which, he ..... (read more)
	Aug. 19, 2011: (Edmonton Journal) There's a New Bee in Town - A buzz is circulating about a new species of bumble-bee, bombus moderatus, that has been spotted in backyards across Edmonton. The fuzzy pollinator has a distinctive white bottom, and usually prefers northern and ..... (read more)
	Aug. 11, 2011: (National Post) Edmontonians do Not Welcome Their New Insect Overlords - Choking hordes of mosquitoes. Torrents of excrement-spewing aphids. After enduring an early summer plagued with downpours, Edmontonians are grappling with a 20-year..... (read more)
	July 21, 2011: (Grainews) Alberta - Good News on Bugs, Bad on Disease - In his latest Call of the Land weekly interview, Alberta Agriculture pest specialist Scott Meers has mostly good news on insect pressure in the province. Meers says four weeks into the six-week ..... (read more)
	July 14, 2011: (Saltwire) - Scientists Studying Migration of German Yellowjacket - DEER LAKE — Summer months mean swimming, barbecues and insects — lots and lots of insects. This summer, people in Deer Lake have noticed some interesting new bugs they have ..... (read more)
	June 11, 2011: (St Alberta Gazette) Big Bugs Stalk City - Crimson swarms and big black monsters are swarming some local trees and lawns. But don’t worry, says the city — these bugs are mostly harmless. City staffers started getting calls about cinara aphids on spruce a few weeks ago ..... (read more)
	Apr. 4, 2011: (e! Science News) Mountain Pine Beetle Marching East From Alberta - (Edmonton) A University of Alberta-led research team has determined that the mountain pine beetle has invaded jack pine forests in Alberta, opening up the possibility for an infestation that..... (read more)
	Mar. 28, 2011: (U of A) Tree Resin the Key Evidence of Current and Historic Insect Invasions - A University of Alberta-led research team has discovered that insects that bore into trees as long ago 90 million years, or as recently as last summer, leave a calling..... (read more)
	Mar. 10, 2011: (Globe & Mail) Honeybee Colonies are Collapsing, but not all Hope is Lost - The global food crisis has prompted experts to point the finger at everything from stressed farmland to high oil prices to the impact of futures markets. Now a United Nations report ..... (read more)
	Mar. 10, 2011: (Winnipeg Free Press) Province Declares War on Bedbugs - The province will unveil its $770,000 battle plan against bedbugs today to enlist Manitobans of every stripe to get the upper hand on the pests that have infested many homes and businesses across the ..... (read more)
	Jan. 24, 2011: ((e) Science News) Genome of Blue Stain Fungus Evolved to Bypass Tree Defense in Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic - The genome of the fungus that helps mountain pine beetles infect and kill lodgepole pines has been decoded in a University ..... (read more)
	Nov. 9, 2010: (Vancouver Sun) Alberta Slowly Winning Pine-Beetle Battle - Alberta’s forests have received a temporary reprieve in the battle with their most voracious enemy. Recent ground and aerial surveys show the mountain pine beetle’s progress through the province’s ..... (read more)
	Oct. 19, 2010: (Cda Post) Low Value Definitive's: Beneficial Insects - They skitter, scamper, and sometimes sting; we call them bugs for our own reasons. But, as any veteran gardener will tell you, one person’s pest is another person’s helper. In 2007, Canada Post paid..... (read more)
	Sept. 28, 2010: (RAM): Meet Edmonton bug guy Peter Heule - No need to be afraid of the creepy crawlies. The bug expert at the Royal Alberta Museum, Peter Heule, shares his love of insects with ..... (read article)
	Apr. 5, 2010: (BBC) The Canadian Insect Collector Who Eats His Specimens - Canadian entomologist George Brossard is an avid promoter of insects. He actively promotes insect education through his support of insect museums or insectariums and the TV series “Insectia”. Brossard was instrumental in the founding of N. America’s largest insectarium in Montreal. (read article)
	Aug. 11, 2008: (UofA News Archive) A Bug's Life ... In a Bubble - University of Alberta researcher Morris Flynn has completed a study that investigates how insects are able to stay underwater without drowning. The secret lies in the waxy water repellant exteriors of these insects which allows air to be trapped in an air bubble called a plastron. (read article)

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