A new insect discovered in New Brunswick has been given a special name to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.
The Apimela canadensis is a tiny rove beetle that has just become the country’s newest species,
The beetle, measuring only a few millimetres in length, lives in sand and gravel along the shores of rivers and streams.
Local zoology researcher Reginald Webster discovered the bug in 2008 in the Jacquet River Gorge Protected Area, not far from Bathurst, N.B. while doing a survey of the local insect species.
"I knew right away it was something new," he told CTV Atlantic.
He found the beetle again, near the Meduxnekeag River in the Woodstock area, while collaborating on a trapping study with fellow research scientist, Dr. John Sweeney.
While the insect has only been collected in New Brunswick so far, it can likely be found in similar habitats elsewhere, Webster said.
"It will be found in Quebec, probably Nova Scotia, Ontario," he said.
Little is currently known about the remarkably small insect, but both Webster and Sweeney say it’s unlikely to harm the environment, since only a tiny percentage of all insect species are considered pests.
"I’m sure it's beneficial,” says Webster. “It lives in gravel and sand most likely feeds on very small insects."
Webster has already discovered more than 53 other insect species prior to this one, but still he had to be sure the Canadensis hadn't been previously found.
Since being confirmed as new, the beetle will be included in an upcoming book by Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service, featuring more than 400 Aleocharinae beetle species found in eastern Canada.
Webster says he’s glad the new bug is receiving a Canadian name.
"It’s only from Canada so I think it's very appropriate name,” he said.
With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Mary Cranston
