An integrative approach to systematics and evolution of Trigonopterus, a hyperdiverse genus of flightless weevils from South Asia and the West Pacific

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The high insect diversity of Melanesia is well-known, but its origins and the processes that generated it are barely understood. Here, we propose continuation of a project investigating the evolution and biogeography of the hyperdiverse weevil genus Trigonopterus Fauvel. These flightless beetles have a remarkable tendency towards local endemism. Yet, the accumulated distribution is vast, ranging east-west from Sumatra to Samoa and south-north from New Caledonia to the Philippines. This makes Trigonopterus an ideal model system for bio- and phylogeographic investigations in this geologically highly complex region. In the past years we have described >225 new species and created a phylogeny of > 500 species. Within this framework, the present project will extend evolutionary and biogeographical studies on this group in the area of Australia, New Guinea and Samoa. Present objectives are (1) to prepare time-calibrated phylogenies comprising >1,000 Trigonopterus species; (2) to identify cryptic Australian species and to model their niche evolution; (3) to study ancestral distribution ranges of the Sahul shelf and geologically composite New Guinea; (4) to study speciation and dispersal processes on a local scale in New Guinea; (5) to summarize phylogenetic data for all species at hand and to study the evolution of life histories and key-characters, e.g. stridulatory devices and defensive locking mechanisms, possibly leading to the evolutionary success of the group.