TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL CHANGES IN THE CANADIAN INSECT FAUNA: PATTERNS AND EXPLANATION THE PRAIRIES

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Abstract
The insect fauna of the Canadian prairies is composed of elements recruited from surrounding biomes. Most species appear to have invaded from the southeastern United States following the retreat of the last glaciation. Other distinct centers of origin are the eastern boreal forest, the Rocky Mountains, the Alaskan-Beringian refugium, and the Sonoran or interior basin of the southwestern United States. Because of the youthfulness and instability of the prairies as a biome, true prairie endemic species are rare. While an inventory of prairie insects is far from complete, enough information is available to detect basic patterns of immigration.