Robert A Cannings

• PhD (Entomology)
• Curator Emeritus of Entomology at Government of British Columbia, Canada

We describe Swauka ypresiana n. gen. n. sp., the second fossil gossamerwing damselfly (Odonata, Zygoptera, Epallagidae, Epallaginae) and its oldest occurrence. It is the first fossil insect reported from the Swauk Formation of central Washington State, U.S.A. It was recovered from the “Sandstone facies of Swauk Pass,” a fluvial unit, immediately be...

A subfossil robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) from the genus Lasiopogon Loew is reported from a Beringian rodent, Arctic ground squirrel, Urocitellus parryii Richardson (Rodentia: Sciuridae), midden in the Yukon Territory, Canada, dated to about 16 500 years old. This is the first asilid reported from Quaternary-aged material and represents the first...

Therevidae (Stiletto Flies) is a cosmopolitan family of flies in the superfamily Asiloidea, containing over 1250 described species. There is no previously published treatment of the family in British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. An updated checklist of 34 species known in this region is presented based on over 2100 specimens, database records, phot...

Three Cannings brothers describe their intertwined but separate careers in Canadian biology: Rob as an entomologist, Syd as an entomologist and conservation biologist, and Dick as an ornithologist and politician. They emphasise the influence on their lives of the British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley where they grew up, the naturalist family in which...

Three new species of Ypresian (early Eocene) Odonata are described: Paradysagrion sosbyae gen. and sp. nov. from the Klondike Mountain Formation at Republic, Washington, United States of America, and Dysagrionites allenbyensis sp. nov. and Allenby gen. and sp. A from the Allenby Formation near Princeton, British Columbia, Canada. All three are assi...

Age, stratigraphy, description, taxonomy and taphonomy of Early Eocene gossamerwing damselfly from the Swauk Formation of central Washington state, U.S.A.

Canada has lost three important odonatologists since the first edition of this list was published in 2005: Gordon Pritchard, University of Calgary biology professor and internationally active odonate researcher (Cannings 2013); Paul Brunelle, leader of the massive inventory of Odonata in the Maritime Provinces (McAlpine 2020a, b, c) and co-author o...

Fossil insects have been collected and described from the early Eocene Allenby Formation of southern British Columbia, Canada for over a century, but these have never included Odonata. We describe the first members of that order from the formation: Allenbya holmesae, new genus and species, most likely belonging to the Dysagrionidae (suborder Cephal...

We describe the darner dragonfly Kishenehna prima n. gen. and sp. (Odonata, Aeshnidae, Gomphaeschninae) based on a well-preserved, nearly complete female hind wing from the Lutetian Coal Creek Member of the Kishenehn Formation, northwestern Montana, USA. Kishenehna is morphologically close to the late Paleocene genus Alloaeschna Wighton & Wilson of...

• The metacommunity concept, defined as a set of local communities connected by species dispersal, provides deep understanding of large-scale ecological processes. The elements of the metacommunity structure (EMS) framework use occurrence data to differentiate among different patterns (i.e., checkerboard, nestedness, species turnover). • Metacommun...

We describe Republica weatbrooki, a new genus and species of damselfly (Odonata, Zygoptera, Euphaeidae, Eodichromatinae) from the early Eocene (Ypresian) fossil locality at Republic, Washington, U.S.A. Its single specimen is the sole damselfly known from the Okanagan Highlands series of localities in far-western North America.

Simple Summary There has been a rapid expansion of agricultural area worldwide, resulting in a substantial change in the physical structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning of various natural habitats. In North Africa, many natural habitats have been transformed into agricultural lands, especially in the North, where biodiversity is the hig...

While climate change severely affects some aquatic ecosystems, it may also interact with anthropogenic factors and exacerbate their impact. In dry climates, dams can cause hydrological drought during dry periods following a great reduction in dam water discharge. However, impact of these severe hydrological droughts on lotic fauna is poorly documen...

We describe the Cephalozygoptera, a new, extinct suborder of Odonata, composed of the families Dysagrionidae and Sieblosiidae, previously assigned to the Zygoptera, and possibly the Whetwhetaksidae n. fam. The Cephalozygoptera is close to the Zygoptera, but differs most notably by distinctive head morphology. It includes 59 to 64 species in at leas...

We describe the Cephalozygoptera, a new, extinct suborder of Odonata, composed of the families Dysagrionidae and Sieblosiidae, previously assigned to the Zygoptera, and possibly the Whetwhetaksidae n. fam. The Cephalozygoptera is close to the Zygoptera, but differs most notably by distinctive head morphology. It includes 59 to 64 species in at leas...

Insects are reportedly experiencing widespread declines, but we generally have sparse data on their abundance. Correcting this shortfall will take more effort than professional entomologists alone can manage. Volunteer nature enthusiasts can greatly help to monitor the abundance of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), iconic freshwater sentinels...

Nearctic species of Lasiopogon Loew comprising the bivittatus section (the bivittatus group sensu Cannings 2002) are revised, with the description of 13 new species, elevation of one subspecies to species, and redescriptions of 13 previously described taxa. An updated key to western Nearctic Lasiopogon adults is provided, as are notes on taxonomy,...

We describe the first dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera) from the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands of far-western North America from nine fossils. Six are assigned to five species in four new, named genera of Aeshnidae: Antiquiala snyderaenew genus and species , Idemlinea versatilisnew genus and species , Ypshna brownleeinew genus and species , Ypshn...

Since Corbet’s thorough 1979 overview of Canadian Odonata, hundreds of regional works on taxonomy, faunistics, distribution, life history, ecology and behaviour have been written. Canada records 214 species of Odonata, an increase of 20 since the 1979 assessment. Estimates of unrecorded species are small; this reflects the well-known nature of the...

Stackelberginia cerberus sp. nov. (Diptera: Asilidae) is described from the Amargosa desert (USA: Nevada) and compared to related taxa. This is the first record of the genus in the Western Hemisphere; other species live in the deserts of central Asia. Stackelberginia Lehr is proposed as the sister taxon to Lasiopogon Loew in the subfamily Stichopog...

Wildlife in British Columbia at Risk brochure (1995). British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria. 6pp.

Wildlife at Risk in British Columbia brochure (2002). British Columbia Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Victoria, B.C. 6 pp.

We compile, map, and discuss global elevational, latitudinal, thermal, and rainfall extremes of termite localities from literature sources and unpublished records. Rugitermes laticollis from Ecuador and Bolivia occurs at higher elevation (2700-3600 m) than any other termite species. Termites span the globe from 54.3°N (Zootermopsis angusticollis in...

This list documents 2832 Lepidoptera species reported for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is based on examination of the major public insect collections in the province and the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Ontario. Records from relevant literature sources and online databases have also been...

Robber flies (Asilidae) are predatory Diptera that kill other insects with paralyzing saliva injected through the proboscis. Over 7,000 species of the family are described worldwide and, although there is no list of species, well over 200 are reported in Canada. The present analysis indicates that grasslands and grassland–forest interface areas in...

The Odonata are energetic aerial predators of other insects; the aquatic larvae are voracious predators of invertebrates and small vertebrates. As of 2010, 5,952 species of the order were described worldwide; 211 species are known from Canada. Grasslands across the country support about 59% of the national fauna. A checklist and systematic overview...

Lasiopogon septentrionalis Lehr, 1984 is recorded for the first time from Finland, and Europe as a whole. The species was previously known only from the Russian Far East. A key to the three north European Lasiopogon species is provided.

Gordon Pritchard died in Calgary, Alberta, after a long struggle with multiple myeloma, on 23 December 2012. He was 73 years old. Gordon was a premier entomologist and educator and an expert on many subjects from the biology of crane flies to evolutionary questions associated with the development of insects, especially aquatic ones. But his overwhe...

Bombus vosnesenskii, the distinctively-patterned Yellow-faced Bumble Bee, has undergone a significant and rapid range extension in British Columbia. Known initially from a single record of a few specimens at Osoyoos in 1951, it was put forward in 1996 as a species that warranted a threatened or endangered status because of its severely restricted r...

Efferia okanagana sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in the grasslands of the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, mainly the Okanagan Valley. The male and female genitalia are described and illustrated. The existing key to species of Efferia Coquillett is modified to enable identification of male and female E. okanagana. The...

Collections of chironomid larvae, pupae, and adults were taken from the 1-m depth zone of 15 lakes of varying salinities in central British Columbia. Thirty-four species were identified.The littoral chironomid fauna of the lake series is divided into predominant associations whose existence seems to depend on salinity and productivity levels. A Cri...

This superb book is the most important reference on the Order Odonata to appear since the 1999 publication of Philip Corbet's monumental work on the behavior and ecology of Odonata. In the context of specimen identification and faunistics, it is the most significant contribution in decades, for it opens a new door to the most diverse and least know...

The Praying Mantis, Mantis religiosa, was introduced into eastern North America in the 1890s and is now a common species throughout much of the eastern United States and southern Ontario and Quebec. It was introduced from Ontario into the southern interior of British Columbia to control grasshoppers in 1937 and 1938. These introductions be- came es...

This superb book is the most important reference on the Order Odonata to appear since the 1999 publication of Philip Corbet's monumental work on the behavior and ecology of Odonata. In the context of specimen identification and faunistics, it is the most significant contribution in decades, for it opens a new door to the most diverse and least know...

Dragonflies are beautiful animals, important predators in and around aquatic environments, and often good indicators of ecosystem health. Stimulated by digital photography, close-focusing binoculars, and many new regional field guides, the study of dragonflies has exploded in the last ten years. Most importantly, the Internet has connected beginner...

Morphological, biological, and distributional data are presented for the four Canadian species of Mantispidae. A key for the identification of these species is provided. Climaciella brunnea (Say) is the most frequently collected Canadian species, occurring in southern British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Dicromantispa interrupt...

The changes in the conservation status ranks of BC's dragonfly (Insecta: Odonata) species over a nine-year period demonstrate how inventory provides information for assigning these ranks. Preliminary conservation status ranks were assigned to BC's dragonflies in 1993. Subsequently, inventory efforts focused on species considered at risk in order to...

Of the five species of the damselfly genus Lestes that live in British Columbia, Lestes forcipatus Rambur and L. disjunctus Selys are the most difficult to separate morphologi- cally. Females can be readily distinguished by the size of the ovipositor, but males are difficult to separate. In British Columbia, L. disjunctus is more common, widespread...

Comparing selected invertebrate communities among the islands of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), we found that the abundance and diversity of invertebrates in the forest understorey decreased as the length of exposure to browsing by deer increased. Litter invertebrates did not show a uniform response to browsing. Building on our data we are...

This book is an investigation of the phylogenetic relationships in the robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) genus Lasiopogon Loew. Although 118 species -- 49 of them undescribed -- are recognized, only the derived L. opaculus section is revised. It consists of 29 species, 14 of which are newly described: L. apache, L. appalachensis, L. chrysotus, L. coco...

This book introduces students, naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts to the world of dragonflies in a colourful and concise way. An introduction illustrated with colour photographs outlines the life of these insects -- their structure, life cycles, habitats and behaviour. The book gives instructions on where to find dragonflies and how to watch and s...

The final-stadium larva of Leucorrhinia patricia Walker is described from six exuviae with associated teneral adults collected in northern British Columbia. L. patricia belongs to the group of nearctic Leucorrhinia that has larvae with three ventral stripes. The larvae are very similar to those L. hudsonica (Sélys) larvae that are small and lack do...

Like the rest of the natural world, the world of fresh water has many stories to tell -- stories about how insects cope with the current in tumbling mountain streams, how water shrews can run on water, and why some Kokanee Salmon have come to spawn on the shores of Okanagan Lake rather than in streams. Adapted and expanded from sections of the best...

The taxonomic status of Lasiopogon montanus Schiner and L. bellardii Jaennicke is clarified. New diagnostic characters from the internal male genitalia conclusively separate the two species. In particular, the gonostylus apex is long and sickle-shaped in L. bellardii and shorter and toothed in L. montanus. Thus, L. bellardii is not a synonym of L....

6 pages

The peatlands of the northern Cordillera of North America (consisting of the mountain ranges and intermontane lowlands and plateaus of British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska) support a distinctive Odonata fauna. Forty species in six families and 12 genera are typical of northwestern peatlands and another 12 spec...

Rhadiurgus variabilis (Zetterstedt 1838), a robber fly described from Europe, and Nigrasilus nitidifacies Hine 1908, described from North America, are newly synonomized. Lectotypes are designated for Asilus variabilis Zetterstedt and Nigrasilus nitidifacies Hine. Some new descriptive material, including measurements and colour data, is given for fi...

255 pages

Sympetrum signiferum n. sp. from western Mexico and southern Arizona is described and its diagnostic characters illustrated. It is structurally most similar to, but is larger than, S. vicinum (Hagen); a triangular brown patch at the base of the hindwing is unique in the Nearctic members of the genus. S. signiferum is the only species of Sympetrum,...

Bushy-tailed woodrats occur commonly in cliffs, rock talus, and caves in open forests throughout interior British Columbia. The Oregon Jack Creek site contains a midden that is dated 1150 ± 80 radiocarbon years ago. Pollen analyses reveal an abundance of Cupressaceae and Pinus. Shrub and herb pollen types include Artemisia, Fabaceae, Poaceae, and A...