During a hunting trip last autumn near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Beau Taptuna and his family came across a peculiar sight. Taptuna observed multiple deceased caribou on the land without any signs of gunshot wounds. He suspected that the animals succumbed to an insect-borne parasite. Additionally, other community members expressed concerns about how insects impact wildlife such as caribou and muskox.
Taptuna, a summer science ranger in Kugluktuk, is actively involved in the Kitikmeot biting insect monitoring program. This program, supported by federal funding, investigates insects, the parasites they carry, and their effects on animals. Moreover, it tracks the biodiversity of biting insects like black flies and mosquitoes in response to changing climate conditions.
Commencing three years ago in Kugluktuk, the program has expanded to Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Taptuna employs various nets to capture insects, which are subsequently analyzed at the University of Guelph and the University of Calgary.
According to Danielle Nowosad, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, the project has revealed that insects are emerging earlier due to rising temperatures, and there is a greater diversity of insect species compared to a previous survey conducted in 2010-2011. The team identified nearly 300 insect species in Kugluktuk last year.
Nowosad has created a species distribution model based on climate data, predicting a significant expansion in the geographical area where black flies can breed in the North over the next few decades. The monitoring program was initiated following a request from a hunters and trappers organization’s annual general meeting in 2022, emphasizing community involvement through consultations with members, elders, and harvesters.
Hannah Zikalala, a project manager in Cambridge Bay, finds the program rewarding and values the opportunity to contribute. She emphasized the importance of the program in safeguarding caribou populations from insect-borne parasites, highlighting the potential ripple effects on traditional meat consumption for future generations.
Nowosad highlighted the program’s focus on monitoring parasites, noting the surprising diversity uncovered through advanced genomic techniques. Community discussions have also raised concerns about the possible introduction of new biting insects from southern wildfires, a topic under investigation by the researchers. The program is set to continue for the next couple of years, with a research paper slated for release in the fall.
For Taptuna, the monitoring program holds significant importance beyond the realm of insects, as it directly impacts the wildlife crucial to their way of life. He stressed the essential role animals play in their ecosystem and the reliance on them for sustenance.
