Dissertation Research: A Systematic Treatment of the Genus Agylla with Emphasis on the Maasseni Group (Lepidoptera : Arctiidae: Lithosiinae)

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A systematic revision of a species-group within a large genus of lichen moths will be completed using morphological traits of adult and immature specimens. The project will include cladistic analysis of adult museum specimens, leading to clearer understanding of ancestor-descendant relationships. Field work and rearing experiments in Peru will add to our ecological understanding of the genus Agylla. A phylogenetic framework for the moths will set the stage for later research into the coevolution of moths and their host- lichens, and the evolution of the moths' mating system. Graduate student Nancy Jacobson will pursue this research, and her project will help in scientific exchange with the research community in Peru.