Nolan Boyd - Thesis Defence
UPDATED SURVEILLANCE OF MOSQUITOES IN THE MARITIME PROVINCES OF CANADA
MSc Biology Candidate: Nolan Boyd
25 June 2025
1:00 PM Atlantic
Hybrid Defence
Biol Seminar Room
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Meeting ID: 294 543 982 337 0
Passcode: HA9bB7UD
Thesis Committee:
Dr. Laura Ferguson, Supervisor
Dr. John Soghigian, University of Calgary, External Examiner
Dr. Kirk Hillier, Internal Examiner
Dr. Alex Marland, Chair of the defence
Abstract
In the maritime provinces of Canada, rising temperatures, more variable precipitation, increased humidity, and shorter, milder winters are altering the environmental conditions that shape mosquito communities. Because mosquitoes act as pollinators, occupy a key position in lower trophic levels, and can vector disease, it is essential to monitor shifts in their distribution and abundance. The last comprehensive mosquito surveys in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were conducted over 20 years ago, leaving crucial gaps in our understanding of both native and invasive species. To establish a modern baseline for ongoing mosquito surveillance, we sampled 297 sites across New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia from May to October 2023 and May to September 2024. Using larval collections from ephemeral ponds, roadside ditches, bogs, and artificial containers, adult collections using CDC light traps baited with CO₂, updraft gravid traps and human landing captures, we collected over 50,000 specimens. Our results include eight new species records for New Brunswick, seven for PEI, and two for Nova Scotia, as well as one new subspecies record. Notably, we report the first Maritime occurrence of Anopheles quadrimaculatus and document the expansion of the invasive Aedes japonicus into PEI. We observed pronounced interannual variation in community composition between 2023 and 2024, likely driven by year-to-year weather fluctuations. When compared to the 2004 New Brunswick survey, there is a long-term trend finding that the majority of mosquito communities in the Maritimes are becoming dominated by fewer species. Whether climate change is driving this long-term change remains uncertain. as the infrequent surveillance in the Maritimes offers us only small snapshots of a much larger picture. In order to gain a better understanding of long-term mosquito community change and to detect invasive species soon after arrival routine proactive mosquito surveillance must be implemented in the Maritimes.
About Nolan…
My name is Nolan Boyd. I am a Master of science candidate in Dr. Laura Ferguson’s lab at Acadia university. My project was centered around our mosquito surveillance project where the members of the Acadia mosquito team and I collected mosquito samples all around the Maritimes. I have a strong interest in ecology and the natural world, stemming from a lifelong love of the outdoors. As much as I enjoyed collecting and writing about mosquitoes, I also enjoy getting bit by them while flyfishing, hiking, and kayaking.