Table of Contents
Overview
Distribution
Geographic Range
Brychius hungerfordi is located in isolated locations in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula in the Cheboygan River watershed and Ontario's Bruce Peninsula in the North Saugeen River (Hyde and Smar, 2000).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
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National Distribution
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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Global Range: (250-2,500,000 square km (about 100-1,000,000 square miles)) This species is found in five streams in northern Michigan and one stream in Ontario, Canada (USFWS, 2006). Aquatic surveys in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and southern Canada have failed to find additional populations (Evers, 1994).
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U.S.A. (MI, Canada)
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Adult B. hungerfordi have a yellowish brown coloring with irregular dark markings and narrow stripes of fine closely spaced darkish pigmented perforations on their wing covers. Brychius hungerfordi can be distinguished by the distinct shape of its pronotum, the dorsal plate between the head and base of the wings. Adults are generally 0.15-0.17 inches (3.70-4.35 mm) long and 0.07-0.09 inches (1.90-2.25 mm) wide with females tending to be larger than males. Males can also be differentiated from females by their front legs. On males, the first three segments have small tufts of hair. Tarsal segments are also thickened.
Brychius hungerfordi larvae have a stiff, light yellowish brown body with a cylindrical shape that tapers into a hooked tail. Larvae also have short legs with single tarsal hooks (Spangler, 1954; Hyde and Smar, 2000).
Range mass: 0 to 0 kg.
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Size
Type Information
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology
Sex/Stage: Male; Female; Adult; Adult
Preparation: Pinned; Pinned
Collector(s): P. Spangler
Year Collected: 1952
Locality: 29. Maple River McKinley Twp. Emmet Co. Mich, Emmet, Michigan, United States
- Holotype: 1954. Ent. News. 65 (5): 114.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat
Brychius hungerfordi lives in cool (15 to 25 deg C), clean, well-aerated, slightly alkaline streams with open to partially open canopy. Flows where B. hungerfordi are found are moderate to fast (Hyde and Smar, 2000;U.S.F.W.S. 1994).
Hinz and Wiley (1999) characterized known locations of B. hungerfordi by using the Michigan Valley Segment Ecological Classification System (MI-VSEC) (Seelbach et al 1997). The beetle was found in rivers with hardwater oligotrophic (low in nutrients) chemistries. Base flows in localities where B. hungerfordi was found were fair, and peak flows were low to moderate. Water temperatures were characterized as cold to cool July temperatures with moderate daily temperature fluctuations. Valley slope was low.
Adults and larvae occupy different microhabitats. Adults are usually found on gravel and stones in fast moving currents and well-aerated riffles. Larvae were observed in the slower currents of the stream where Chara or other macroalgae are dense (Hyde and Smar, 2000; U.S.F.W.S. 1994).
Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; rivers and streams
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Habitat Type: Freshwater
Comments: According to Leni Wilsmann, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, the habitat is best described as a relatively warm (not "cool" as in published account) shallow, gravel bottom outflow stream about a mile or two below the lake. Occurs among plant roots at about two feet depth.
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Migration
Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Both adult and larval B. hungerfordi are herbivorous, probably feeding on algae and periphyton by scraping gravel and stones with their mandibles (Hyde and Smar, 2000; U.S.FWS, 1994).
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Population Biology
Number of Occurrences
Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.
Estimated Number of Occurrences: 6 - 20
Comments: There are six occurrences of this species in Michigan: three in Emmet County, two in Montmorency County and one in Presque Isle County (Michigan Natural Features Inventory, 2007). It is currently known in Canada only from a single site in Bruce County, Ontario (USFWS, 2006).
There may be other occurrences as the potential habitat is quite undersampled by collectors familiar with this species (Roughley pers. comm. 1994).
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Global Abundance
1 - 2500 individuals
Comments: Populations in the Maple River in Emmet Co., Michigan were estimated at between 200-500 individuals, with fewer individuals found at the other sites (Haack, 1993; Wilsmann and Strand, 1990; White, 1986). This species and its habitat may be undersampled by collectors familiar with this species (Roughley pers. comm. 1994).
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Life History and Behavior
Reproduction
Reproduction
In the spring and early summer months, B. hungerfordi probably lays eggs on filamentous algae and aquatic plants. The larvae are believed to go through three instars before finally pupating to adults. Although the time between oviposition and final emergence of the adult depends on temperature, it generally takes about seven weeks (Hyde and Smar, 2000; U.S.F.W.S. 1994). Larvae may overwinter.
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Conservation
Conservation Status
Conservation Status
Logging, beaver control management, pollution and other human stream modifications have likely contributed to the reduction of B. hungerfordi habitat (U.S.F.W.S. 1994). Introduction of sport fish which may prey on B. hungerfordi may have also contributed to its decline (Hyde and Smar, 2000). This species is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by the state of Michigan.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: endangered
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National NatureServe Conservation Status
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled
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NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Reasons: This water beetle appears to have a restricted range and despite several survey attempts, it is only known to occur within six streams. The status of the species is uncertain for several of the known streams. The population in the East Branch of the Maple River has the highest known population and appears stable (USFWS, 2006). This species apparently has specific habitat requirements that are vulnerable to changes in hydrology, predation by introduced fish, and degradation of water quality.
Other Considerations: Listed as federally endangered in 1994 by the USFWS. Appropriate habitats for the species may be undersampled.
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Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 03/07/1994
Lead Region: Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region (Region 3)
Where Listed:
Population detail:
Population location: entire
Listing status: E
For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Brychius hungerfordi , see its USFWS Species Profile
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Trends
Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%
Comments: There are no known current estimations of population trends. It is generally thought that this species is a glacial relict and that its populations and range have decreased substantially in the past, both naturally and due to human habitat alterations (Roughley pers comm. 1989; Haack, 1993).
Global Long Term Trend: Unknown
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Threats
Degree of Threat: AB
Comments: Beaver (Castor canadensis) impoundments (Strand, 1989), and similiar structures, such as wing dams, culverts or mill races (Roughley, 1989), appear to be important to maintaining the habitat of this beetle. These structures cause changes in stream ecology and hydrology, including decreasing of the severity of environmental disturbances, such as floods and drought. The Maple River in Emmet Co., MI supports a large beaver population, and also supports the highest known population of this water beetle. It has been suggested that removal of the beaver would result in greater fluctuations in water velocity and volume and ultimately, the destruction of the water beetle population and habitat (Strand, 1989). Another threat to this water beetle is related to fish management, specifically with introductions of brown trout (Salmo trutta). Beetles swimming with an air bubble are easily seen by the human naked eye. Strand (1989) believed that due to their visibility, trout could easily decimate a population. This is supported by the observation that the largest population, on the East Branch of the Maple River, is inaccessible to brown trout. The last threat recognized by Strand (1989) was logging in the riparian zone. Hungerford's crawling water beetle requires clean gravel substrate, and logging, which increases siltation, could devastate nearby populations.
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Management
Biological Research Needs: More information is needed on the habitat requirements of this species. Additional information should be sought regarding this species tolerance for environmental change. The association of the species with beaver activity should be further studied. More information is needed on natural history and ecology throughout the species' life cycle. Little is currently known about this species food preference (presumably algae or epiphyton). European literature indicates that some Haliplids are relatively narrow in food preference, and knowledge of host algae or epiphyton may be important in conserving the species (Roughley pers. comm. 1994;, Roughley 1991).
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Global Protection: Few (1-3) occurrences appropriately protected and managed
Comments: The East Branch of the Maple River is partially maintained by the University of Michigan Biological Station. The other Michigan occurrence is within MacKinaw State Forest, where there is good potential for protection.
Needs: The primary protection need at this time, is to protect those habitats with known occurrences of this species. Any land uses that could potentially impact water quality or hydrology should be discouraged. Riparian buffer strips should be maintained. Introductions of non-native fish and other ecological alterations within the habitat should be prevented.
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
None Known
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
None Known
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Wikipedia
Hungerford's crawling water beetle
Hungerford's crawling water beetle (Brychius hungerfordi) is a critically endangered member of the Haliplidae family of water beetles. The US Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Recovery Plan for the species published August 2004 estimates roughly 1000 individuals are present in the wild.[2] In 2010, a five-year summary report by the US Fish and Wildlife Service found the population to be essentially unchanged.[3]
The species was first discovered by Paul J. Spangler in 1954.
Contents |
Endangered status
Hungerford's crawling water beetle was categorized as endangered on March 7, 1994, under the provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Hungerford's crawling water beetle is currently not protected in Canada. At the time that the species was listed on the endangered species list, it was found only in three sites, all in Michigan. It is the most endangered species in Michigan and at the time of its listing, the only one limited exclusively to Michigan.
Known populations
Known populations of Hungerford's crawling water beetles are limited to cold-water streams in only five locations. Four of these are in Michigan and one is in Ontario.
Michigan locations
Almost all known Hungerford's crawling water beetles live in a single location: the East Branch of the Maple River in Emmet County, Michigan. This location consists of a two and a half mile stretch of the river downstream from the Douglas Road crossing. This area supports the only stable population of the Hungerford's crawling water beetle, recording nearly 1052 beetles when last counted in 2002.[2] This area is largely within and along the boundary of the University of Michigan Biological Station.
Of the remaining sites, a second is also in Emmet County. This is near the Oliver Road crossing of the Carp Lake River, where 4 adult specimens were recorded in 1997, but erosion at the road seems to have harmed the habitat and no specimens were found in the last survey conducted in 2003.[2]
In Montmorency County, Michigan two more sites have yielded official records of Hungerford's crawling water beetles. Along the East Branch of the Black River inside the Mackinaw State Forest, two adult beetles were found in surveys in 1989 and again in 1996 two more adults were found.[2] Still, the status of the population there remains uncertain. In July 1999, six additional adult beetles were identified elsewhere in the Mackinaw State Forest in Van Hetton Creek.
The Carp Lake River and Van Hetton Creek identifications were significant as they represented a new location beyond those originally identified when the Hungerford's crawling water beetle was categorized as endangered in 1994. This suggests that the rare beetle may occur in other sites as yet undiscovered.
Ontario location
The only known population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles outside of the United States inhabit the North Saugeen River near Scone in Bruce County, Ontario. In 1986, 42 beetles were identified at a site downstream from a dam there. An unspecified number of beetles were last recorded in 2001, but surveys in 2002 uncovered no specimens. As a result, the status of this population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles is uncertain at present.
Habitat
It is believed that the Hungerford's crawling water beetle requires cool (15–25 °C or 59–77 °F), swift flowing alkaline streams with sand and gravel bottoms. While in their larval stage, the beetles gather in concentrations of microalgae and in slower moving waters.[4] The beetles are thought to have historically favored beaver dams.
Description
Like all Haliplidae the imago of the Hungerford crawling water beetle is more or less ovoid, with a markedly convex upperside. They is have a yellowish-brown color with irregular dark markings. They are extremely small (3.8–4.3 millimetres or 0.15–0.17 inch long) which may contribute to the difficulty in locating them. Their wing covers are characterized by perforated stripes. The sides of their pronotum (dorsal plate behind the head) are nearly parallel for the basal two-thirds before widening at the sides.
As characteristic of all Haliplidae, the hindlegs of Hungerford crawling water beetles have a very distinctive and comparatively large coxal plates that cover most of the beetle's abdomenal underside as well as parts of its hindlegs. These hindleg plates do not move although they are not fused to the beetle's centerline. As with all Haliplidae, these specialized hindleg plates function as air storage devices supplementing the air carried under the wing covers.[5][6]
Although most other Haliplidae are capable of flight, no observation has ever been recorded of a Hungerford crawling water beetle flying. The absence of flight may contribute to the extreme limitation of its habitat, as flight might have helped it to spread over a larger area.
References
- ^ "Hungerford's crawling water beetle (Brychius hungerfordi) species profile". Environmental Conservation Online System. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. February 26, 2011. http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=I02B.
- ^ a b c d Carrie Tansy (August 2008). "Hungerford's crawling water beetle (Brychius hungerfordi) Draft Recovery Plan" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3. http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/hcwb_recpln_fnl.pdf. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ "Hungerford’s crawling water beetle (Brychius hungerfordi) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service. December 9, 2010. http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/recovery/5yr_rev/pdf/HCWB5yrreview2009.pdf. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ "Brychius hungerfordi Hungerford's crawling water beetle". Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Michigan State University. 2007. http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/explorer/species.cfm?id=11555. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ R. E. Roughley (2001). "Haliplidae". In Ross H. Arnett, Jr. & Michael C. Thomas. American Beetles, Volume 1. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-1925-9.
- ^ Rolf Georg Beutel (February 25, 2008). "Haliplidae - Crawling water beetles". Tree of Life Web Project. http://tolweb.org/Haliplidae/8884. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
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