Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle Evaluation

Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO)
Assessed November 2009 by COSSARO as Endangered

Part 1 COSSARO candidate species at risk evaluation form

Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle (Cicindela patruela)

Current designations:

GRANK—G3
NRANK Canada —N3
COSEWIC—N/A
SARA—N/A
General status Canada—May be at risk
ESA 2007—N/A
SRANK—S1
General status Ontario—May be at risk

Distribution and status outside Ontario:

The historic range includes Ontario, Quebec, and 24 states in the north central and eastern US. Its distribution is discontinuous and very local throughout its range. In Canada, it was historically known from two sites along the Ottawa River valley in Ontario and Quebec. The only confirmed extant site in Canada is at Pinery Provincial Park.

Eligibility criteria

Native status

Yes.

Taxonomic distinctness

Yes. Treated as a full species by all relevant authorities (e.g. Freitag 1999, Wallis 1961). Three subspecies have been described, of which only the nominate subspecies patruela is found in Canada.

Designatable units

Single Designatible Unit. The Pinery and Ottawa River populations are more or less connected through the US (although its distribution is discontinuous throughout its range). Pinery and Ottawa River populations are the same subspecies (C. p. patruela), but no genetic studies have been completed. Both populations occur in the Great Lakes Plains Ecological Area. The Ontario portion of the Ottawa River population is considered to be extirpated (COSEWIC 2009).

Priority-setting criteria

Recent arrival

No. Ontario collections dating back to 1950s or earlier.

Non-resident

No.

Primary criteria (rarity and declines)

1. Global rank

   Threatened. G3.

2. Global decline

   Endangered. Rapidly declining short-term trend of 10-30% (based on old localities lacking extant populations). Long term decline of 25-90% (NatureServe 2007).

3. Northeastern North America ranks

   Endangered. Occurs as a native species in 20 of 29 northeastern jurisdictions. Srank or equivalent information available for 20 of 20 jurisdictions = 100%. S1, S2, SH, or in 15 of 20 = 75%.

4. Northeastern North America decline

   Endangered. Rapidly declining short-term trend (based on old localities lacking extant populations) of 10-30%. Long term decline of 25-90% (NatureServe 2007).

5. Ontario occurrences

   Endangered. Marshall’s (1997) web site on the Tiger Beetles of Ontario pointed out that this "tantalizingly rare" species was previously known from a site in the Ottawa area but at that time extant populations were only known from Pinery Park. This remains the case, with only the population of beetles within the Pinery confirmed by recent search effort. One extant occurrence; one historical occurrence is apparently extirpated.

6. Ontario decline

   threatened Likely extirpated from main historical site at Constance Bay on the Ottawa River since 1950. The Pinery population has apparently declined since it was discovered in 1991, but quantitative data are lacking (COSEWIC 2009).

7. Ontario’s conservation responsibility

   Not in any category. Ontario populations are <10% global range

Secondary criteria (threats and vulnerability)

1. Population sustainability

   Insufficient Information. No quantitative analysis of population sustainability.

2. Lack of regulatory protection for exploited wild populations

   Not in any category. Not protected under the Species at Risk Act in Canada, or under any provincial legislation, but collecting is prohibited in Pinery Provincial Park. There is no known exploitation of this species other than some possible commercial collecting.

3. Direct threats

   Threatened. Forest succession due to fire suppression contributed to the demise of Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle at Constance Bay. Prescribed burning is conducted at Pinery Provincial Park, but future burning is subject to financial and social constraints. Historical use of DDT at Constance Bay likely contributed to decline of that population. Trampling of larval burrows and soil compaction by hikers and bikers are potential ongoing threats at the Pinery. Flushing of adults by hikers may also reduce foraging efficiency and increase predation. Disturbance of tiger beetle larvae by human traffic on trails can disrupt feeding and reduce survivorship (S.A. Marshall, pers. comm.). Habitat destruction through housing developments, sand and gravel extraction, and ATVs are documented threats at US locations. Commercial collecting might be a problem in some cases (some globally rare tiger beetles can be worth thousands of dollars to collectors) (COSEWIC 2009).

4. Specialized life history or habitat-use characteristics

   Special concern. Requires dry, coarse-grained, sandy soils and bare to sparsely vegetated forest openings in mixed pine-oak forest, oak savannahs, and woodlands. Also inhabits dirt roads, trails, transmission lines, and eroded slopes. Regular fires are often required to maintain openings.

COSSARO criteria met (primary/secondary)

• Endangered – [4/0]
• Threatened – [2/1]
• Special concern – [0/1]

Recommended Status: Endangered

Summary

Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle (Cicindela patruela) is an attractive metallic green beetle inhabiting sandy open forests. This is a relatively elusive species, easily overlooked because of its similarity to the very common Six-spotted Tiger Beetle. Its range includes northeastern and north central North America, reaching its northern limit in southern Ontario. In Ontario, it occurs in Pinery Provincial Park where it was first discovered in 1991. It formerly occurred at Constance Bay on the Ottawa River (discovered in the 1950s), but this population is believed to be extirpated, probably due to forest succession and DDT spraying. The species is rare and declining throughout its range. Habitat loss, particularly due to natural succession, trampling and increased predation along pedestrian trials, are significant threats. Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle is classified as Endangered due to its small population size, restricted range, and apparent decline in Ontario and globally.

Information sources

COSEWIC. 2009. COSEWIC status report on the Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle, Cicindela patruela in Canada. 6-month Interim Report, November 2009. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. iv + 33 pp.

Freitag, R. 1999. Catalogue of the tiger beetles of Canada and the United States. National Research Council, Ottawa. 195 pp.

Freitag, R. 2007. Email correspondence to R. Foster. March 2007. Professor of Biology (emeritus), Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON.

Marshall, S.A. 1997 (last updated 2000) Tiger Beetles of Ontario. http://www.uoguelph.ca/debu/tiger-beetles.htm

NatureServe. 2009. NatureServe Homepage: A Network Connecting Science with Conservation. Web site: www.natureserve.org [accessed October 2009].

Wallis, J.B. 1961. The Cicindelidae of Canada. Univ. of Toronto Press, Toronto. 74 pp.

Wildspecies. 2005. The general status of species in Canada. Web site: http://www.wildspecies.ca/wildspecies2005/index.cfm?lang=e [accessed March 2009]. Link inactive.

Appendix 1

Northeastern North America rank, status and decline

Occurs as a native species in 20 of 29 northeastern jurisdictions (excluding CT) Srank or equivalent information available for 20 of 20 jurisdictions = (100%)
S1, S2, SH, or in 15 of 20 = (75%)

Part 2 Ontario evaluation using COSEWIC criteria

For each criterion below, identify the appropriate status category (EN or TH) using the COSEWIC criteria. If the species does not meet any of the thresholds for status, then use 'N/A'. If there is not enough information to assess whether the species meets a threshold for status, use 'Insufficient information'. Sources of information must be cited.

Regional (Ontario) COSEWIC criteria assessment

Criterion A – declining population

N/A. Extirpated from one of the two known Ontario sites between 1950 and 2008, but population trend over the past 10 years is unknown.

Criterion B – small distribution and decline or fluctuation

Yes (EN, B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv) + 2ab(i,ii,iii,iv). Extent of Occurrence is < 5000 km² and Area of Occupancy is < 500 km². Known from a single extant location in Ontario. Range is fragmented throughout its distribution. Adult populations apparently fluctuate, but magnitude of fluctuations are unknown.

Criterion C – small population size and decline

N/A. Pinery population estimated at 400 to 1000 individuals (ballpark estimate). Only one extant population in Ontario. Population trends over the past 10 years are unknown.

Criterion D – very small or restricted

Yes (TH, 2). Area of Occupancy is < 2 km². Vulnerable to stochastic events, such as weather or extreme fire. Also vulnerable to human disturbance including increased recreational use or fire suppression.

Criterion E – quantitative analysis

N/A. No Population Viability Analyses have been conducted for the species in Ontario.

Rescue effect

No. Recolonization from US populations unlikely given distances and intervening unsuitable habitat.