Phylogeny of the Mecoptera of the World: Evidence for Two New Holometabolous Insect Orders

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9615269 WHITING The Mecoptera (scorpionflies) is a small insect order of about 500 species distributed throughout the world. The phylogenetic relationships among these insects are controversial, and there is some evidence that the two families currently placed in the Mecoptera should be assigned to their own orders. It also appears that the fleas (Siphonaptera), whose relationship to other insects has long remained a mystery, are actually highly modified scorpionflies. In this research project, Michael Whiting and George Byers will investigate phylogenetic relationships in Mecoptera by combining data compiled from studies on the biology, behavior, and morphology of these insects with data from DNA sequences. Whiting will collect sequence data, and Byers will conduct morphological studies. These data will then be used to provide a robust estimate of mecopteran phylogeny, using a range of computational techniques. This research should answer some long-standing questions of insect phylogeny and yield a significant revision of insect classification. The project should also provide an important base for evolutionary and developmental biologists who study these insects and their genes, and serve as a conceptual and methodological platform for future work on the phylogeny of organisms.