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flying insects - no black flies, and the On 6/23/2016 3:43 PM, Donna Crossland wrote: > Darn! Ha, ha, I’ve heard the song played on CBC but never saw the > video. It’s true the black flies seem larger in northern Ontario. I > think a different species from here. * there are hundreds of species and, I seem to recall, asexual lineages with diverse karyotypes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulium - some feed on one species of host or another, and some don't take a blood meal. fred. ===================================================== > > > > I seem to be too late with thoughts on the black fly. Annapolis Royal > has claimed a ‘_black fly_ _festival’_, though I’ve never seen a black > fly there, and they’d be nothing compared to the wooded heartlands of > NS. A ‘_black fly_ _supper’_ probably wouldn’t draw a big crowd.... : ) > > > > Donna > > > > *From:*naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] *On Behalf Of *Rick Whitman > *Sent:* June-23-16 4:01 PM > *To:* naturens > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] absence of insects > > > > We can't claim it, Donna. Ontario already has it: > > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo > > > > Rick Whitman > > > > On 23 June 2016 at 15:00, Donna Crossland <dcrossland@eastlink.ca > <mailto:dcrossland@eastlink.ca>> wrote: > > Thanks, John, for offering the thought of blackflies being keystone > species. Being a non-aquatic person, I hadn’t thought of their > filtering abilities and incorporating organic matter. Do you think > we’d get very far offering the black fly as a new and official > provincial insect of our wonderful province? Ha, ha. > > > > Donna > > > > *From:*naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>] *On Behalf Of *John Kearney > *Sent:* June-23-16 8:25 AM > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject:* RE: [NatureNS] absence of insects > > > > As always Donna, you have given an excellent explanation of the possible > effects of forestry on Black Fly populations. In addition to the lack of > food for birds resulting from fewer flies, the Black Fly larvae are an > important food source for fish and the larvae of larger aquatic insects > such as mayflies and damselflies. As filter feeders, the Black Fly > larvae play a crucial role in incorporating organic matter into the > aquatic food chain. As filter feeders, they could also serve as > indicator species for aquatic pollution, and in Nova Scotia especially, > for mercury pollution. The adult male Black Fly, which feeds on nectar, > may even play some role in pollination. Here we have a species that is > crucial to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Certainly the Black > Fly is a keystone forest species. > > John > > > > *From:*naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] *On Behalf Of *Donna Crossland > *Sent:* June-22-16 19:20 > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject:* [NatureNS] absence of insects > > > > In response to Susann’s question regarding whether other birders have > noticed a lack of insects: I’ve noticed the past couple of years that > black flies seem to ‘not be what they used to be’. Mostly, the season > seems to be noticeably abbreviated. Also the past two spring have > witness very cold temperatures in the mornings (last Saturday there was > a frost at Milford House and only 4 C when I arrived at 5:20 am). I > measure the temperature at every bird survey post and notice that 10-11 > C is required before I need to put on some bug deterrent. By then, on > most mornings until the warm temps of this week, I’ve pretty well > completed the bird survey. > > > > Earlier this spring, some of the fishermen were commenting that the > blackflies were biting just like in the old days. Things started out > ‘normally’ enough, but then we hit the prolonged cold snap and waters > were rapidly dropping, too. The blackflies quickly became less of an issue. > > > > I’m not a bug expert, but I grew up in one of the buggiest areas of the > province. My theory with the black fly is that it’s traditionally > successful life cycle in NS has been altered somewhat from the rampant > levels of deforestation. On private lands, it seems that operations > have reverted back to cutting right up to the stream edges with no trees > remaining (I’ve got photos of last winter’s cuts in the southwest). > Even where buffers are left as per legal requirements, the lack of trees > remaining on the rest of the landscape serve to let streams rapidly fill > after a rain and then empty quickly, rather than retain moderate flows > from filtering through forests. For the black fly, if waters keep > running more will emerge, but streams are now drying up more quickly > than before when our great Acadian forest blanketed the landscape. The > black fly season is shortened. > > > > Also bear in mind that breeding success of black flies is sensitive to > water pollution in streams (which may be relevant to some areas of our > great province). > > > > Most folks will herald the shorter black fly season, but I’ve become > more reflective about our migrant birds now than I used to be. > Neotropical birds have been coming to this land solely for its “bugs” > and the remarkable ‘forest habitats’ found here for centuries! What are > we indirectly doing to their precious food supply needed to feed young > birds? (I won’t go into habitat issues.) When I watch the chimney > swifts and tree swallows flying around, I wonder how things are going > for them and their progeny... > > > > Donna Crossland > > > > > > *From:*naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] *On Behalf Of > *rita.paul@ns.sympatico.ca <mailto:rita.paul@ns.sympatico.ca> > *Sent:* June-20-16 8:48 AM > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] Golden-crowned Kinglet family group > > > > Maybe birders are noticing a lack of insects Susann! > > but anglers seem not in agreement but maybe birders > > blood is not in this year! Just like wine. > > Enjoy the last days of spring > > Paul > > > > On June 20, 2016 at 7:02 AM Susann Myers <myerss@eastlink.ca > <mailto:myerss@eastlink.ca>> wrote: