During a hunting trip last autumn near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Beau Taptuna and his family came across a peculiar sight. “We’ve noticed around five dead caribou on the land with no signs of gunshot wounds,” he remarked. Taptuna suspects that an insect-borne parasite might be responsible for the animals’ demise. Concerns regarding the impact of insects on caribou and muskox have also been shared by other community members.
Taptuna, a summer science ranger in Kugluktuk, is actively involved in the Kitikmeot biting insect monitoring program. This federally-funded initiative investigates how insects and their parasites influence wildlife, while also tracking the changing biodiversity of biting insects like black flies and mosquitoes due to climate variations. The program, initially launched in Kugluktuk three years ago, has since expanded to Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Cambridge Bay in Nunavut.
As part of his duties, Taptuna employs various nets to capture insects for further analysis at the University of Guelph and the University of Calgary laboratories.
A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, Danielle Nowosad, reports that the project has observed insects emerging earlier due to rising temperatures, along with an increased diversity of insect species compared to a previous survey conducted in 2010-2011. Nowosad predicts a potential rise in insect populations in the future, leading to a larger presence of mosquitoes and other biting insects on the land, possibly introducing new species as well.
Last year’s sampling efforts in Kugluktuk identified just under 300 insect species, as reported by Taptuna. Nowosad has developed a species distribution model utilizing climate data to project that the breeding habitat for black flies will likely expand significantly in northern regions in the upcoming decades.
The monitoring program originated from a request at a hunters and trappers organization’s annual general meeting in 2022, emphasizing community involvement and consultation with community members, elders, and harvesters throughout the process.
Hannah Zikalala, a project manager in Cambridge Bay, expresses her enthusiasm for contributing to the program and conducting fieldwork. She underscores the significance of the initiative in safeguarding caribou populations from insect-borne parasites that could impact their well-being and population size.
Nowosad emphasizes that a primary focus of the program is monitoring parasites, ensuring that the parasites being studied do not pose a risk of transmission to humans. The research has revealed a higher diversity of parasites than initially anticipated, challenging previous assumptions about their genetic makeup.
Community discussions have also raised concerns about the potential migration of new biting insects northward due to wildfires in southern regions, prompting further investigation by the research team. The program is set to continue for a few more years, with a research paper slated for release in the fall.
For Taptuna, the monitoring program holds paramount importance beyond the realm of insects. “It’s crucial primarily for the animals because they are integral to our way of life. Our livelihood is deeply connected to the animals we harvest,” he emphasized.
