Last autumn, Beau Taptuna, while hunting with his family near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, observed a concerning phenomenon. He came across multiple deceased caribou on the land without any signs of gunshot wounds. Taptuna suspected that an insect-borne parasite might have been the cause of their deaths. He also noted that fellow community members had expressed worries about the impact of insects on animals like caribou and muskox.
As a summer science ranger in Kugluktuk, Taptuna actively participates in the Kitikmeot biting insect monitoring program, which is supported by federal funding. This program focuses on studying insects, the parasites they carry, their effects on animals, and the changing biodiversity of biting insects such as black flies and mosquitoes due to climate variations. Initially launched in Kugluktuk three years ago, the program has since expanded to Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.
Taptuna employs various nets to capture insects during his research activities, sending the specimens 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’s findings indicate that insects are emerging earlier due to rising temperatures and that there is a greater diversity of insect species compared to a previous survey conducted in 2010-2011. Nowosad predicts a potential surge in mosquito and biting insect populations in the future, with the likelihood of new insect species infiltrating the region.
Last year’s insect sampling in Kugluktuk identified nearly 300 different insect species, highlighting the growing insect diversity in the area. Nowosad’s climate data-based species distribution model suggests a significant expansion of geographical breeding areas for black flies in the North over the forthcoming decades.
The monitoring program stemmed from a request made during a hunters and trappers organization’s annual general meeting in 2022 and is a community-driven initiative that prioritizes input from community members, elders, and harvesters.
Hannah Zikalala, a project manager in Cambridge Bay, emphasizes the significance of the program in safeguarding the health and population size of caribou in the North, as insect-borne parasites pose a threat to these animals. Zikalala finds fulfillment in contributing to a cause that benefits the local wildlife and ensures the sustenance of traditional meat sources for future generations.
Nowosad underscores the program’s focus on monitoring parasites and emphasizes that the examined parasites do not pose any risk of infection to humans. She highlights the unexpected diversity in parasite species discovered through advanced genomic techniques, challenging previous assumptions about parasite homogeneity.
The program also investigates the potential impact of wildfires in southern regions on the migration of biting insects northward. Nowosad anticipates the continuation of the program for a few more years, with a research paper slated for release in the autumn.
For Taptuna, the monitoring program holds vital importance beyond insect studies, as it directly impacts the interconnected ecosystem that sustains their way of life. He stresses the essential role of animals in their livelihood and cultural heritage, emphasizing the program’s significance in preserving their traditional practices and food sources.