Recently, a scientific mystery was solved by a researcher in Saskatoon who realized he had uncovered an entirely new species of insect as a result. It’s not often that a new insect is discovered but scientists at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada in Saskatoon have done it.

Scientists were working on a Swede Midge project in Canola plots when they discovered another insect in the traps they didn’t recognize. They sent it to their colleagues who after more research determined there was no verification for the insect and that it was indeed a new species.

Research Scientist Dr. Boyd Mori. “We added a new species to the list  For people in Saskatchewan, it might be disheartened because it was found on canola but so far it’s not causing very much damage.”

According to Dr. Mori, the midge was detected in the prairie provinces and has two life cycles.

It was in 2016 when he and others started to think something was out of sorts with the swede midge, a common pest known for causing crop damage to canola. It turns out the team was dealing with a little fly no one had ever laid eyes on. “We’re calling it the Canola Flower Midge to keep it simple,” Mori said.

“The scientific name is called Contarinia brassicola.”

Researchers will continue to study the insect to see how much of a threat it is, from all indications so far it isn’t that detrimental but if it is they want to find ways to reduce the potential damage it could cause to canola crops. Armed with this new knowledge, the industry will have a better handle on what’s causing crop damage should the species strike and what control measures to put in place.