Last autumn, Beau Taptuna, while out hunting with his family near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, observed a concerning sight of five dead caribou on the land without any signs of gunshot wounds. Taptuna attributed their deaths to an insect-borne parasite, echoing worries expressed by fellow community members regarding the impact of insects on animals like caribou and muskox.
As a summer science ranger participating in the Kitikmeot biting insect monitoring program in Kugluktuk, Taptuna helps investigate insects and their associated parasites’ effects on animals while monitoring the changing biodiversity of biting insects such as black flies and mosquitoes due to climate variations. This federally-funded initiative, initiated three years ago in Kugluktuk, has since extended to Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.
Taptuna employs various nets to trap insects during his research, sending the samples to laboratories at the University of Guelph and the University of Calgary for further analysis. According to Danielle Nowosad, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, the project has observed a shift in insect emergence timing due to rising temperatures, with a greater insect diversity compared to a previous survey conducted in 2010-2011.
Last year, approximately 300 insect species were identified in Kugluktuk based on samples collected. Nowosad’s species distribution model, utilizing climate data to project future trends, predicts a significant expansion in the breeding areas for black flies in the North in the upcoming decades.
The monitoring program originated from a request at a hunters and trappers organization’s annual general meeting in 2022 and is community-driven, with active involvement from community members, elders, and harvesters in decision-making processes. Hannah Zikalala, a project manager in Cambridge Bay, expresses her enthusiasm for contributing to the program, emphasizing its potential benefits for wildlife wellbeing.
Researchers are particularly focused on monitoring parasites, discovering a greater diversity than previously assumed through advanced genomic techniques. Additionally, they are exploring the potential introduction of new biting insects into the region due to wildfires in southern areas. The program is set to continue for a few more years, with a research paper expected to be released in the fall.
Taptuna stresses the program’s significance, emphasizing its broader impact beyond just insects, as the well-being of animals is crucial for sustaining their way of life and traditional practices.