Sask. university research team studies fire-loving beetle

The insect, called pyrophilic or fire-loving beetles, lay their eggs in places that have been damaged by fires, according to a U of S news release. (Submitted/University of Saskatchewan)

Research from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) has examined an insect that thrives in fire-damaged habitats.

The insect, called pyrophilic or fire-loving beetles, lay their eggs in places that have been damaged by fires, according to a U of S press release.

“Most animals can't handle the heat of an active fire, but once the fire is out it becomes a beacon that attracts all kinds of things,” Aaron Bell, a biology Ph.D. candidate in the College of Arts and Science and co-author of the study said in the press release.

The study has been published in Thursday's issue of the Ecosphere journal.

Researchers found that these fire-loving beetles have an 80 per cent increase in offspring compared to those that lay eggs in unburnt forest soil.

“Unburnt soils are full of small microorganisms that readily attack and kill vulnerable eggs, whereas soils exposed to the heat of forest fires are temporarily devoid of these predators and pathogens,” Bell explained. “Many insects use burnt forest landscapes for reproduction, but pyrophilic insects do it best. Until now, we really didn’t understand what benefit they’re getting from colonizing the burnt environment so quickly.”

The team conducted their research in Fort a La Corne and near Prince Albert, both of which had recent forest fires. They concluded that the beetle uses heat sterilization to enhance the survival of the egg.

Bell said there were about 60 species of insects around the world that are considered fire-loving.

While their work focused on the beetle, Bell said it can help to understand the positive and negative effects wildfires have on animals, the environment and people.

“Periodic wildfire is important for maintaining healthy forests and habitat for many species that have co-evolved with fire, but fires often encroach on communities, threatening lives and human values,” he said.

“The Cloverdale Fire, which threatened the community of Prince Albert and knocked out power to northern Saskatchewan for four days last May, is an illustration of this balancing act – how do humans maintain healthy ecosystems and species that rely on fire while also keeping people and the things we value safe? It’s important to protect humans and the things we value, but the decision to allow a fire to burn or to put it out has consequences that go beyond us.”

The research team included U of S College of Arts and Science adjunct professor Dr. Iain Phillips (Ph.D.), alumna Kiara Calladine, and co-supervisor Dr. David Wardle (Ph.D.), a professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Funding came from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Centennial Aboriginal Scholarship, the Entomological Society of Saskatchewan, the Entomological Society of Canada, and the Gabriel Dumont Institute.