Evolution of a Unique Ovipositional Syndrome in the Leafhopper Tribe Proconiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

克里斯托弗·H·迪特里希博士。伊利诺伊大学/伊利诺伊自然历史调查局的克里斯托弗·迪特里希获得了一项研究昆虫生殖行为进化方面的拨款。这项研究应该有助于解释这群动物的非凡成功，并可能为管理经济上重要的物种提供改进的方法。现代系统发育学方法极大地提高了在基因和个体特征水平上对进化过程的理解，但对多个协调性状或适应综合征的进化过程仍知之甚少。本项目研究了原刀叶蝉(昆虫纲：半翅目：叶蝉科)独特的产卵(产卵)综合征的几个形态、行为和生理特征的进化。与大多数将卵子插入植物组织而不覆盖卵疤的叶蝉不同，某些原刀豆素物种在它们的卵疤上覆盖着被称为支气管体的特殊分泌颗粒。在大多数叶蝉物种中，支气管体主要用来在身体外表面提供防水涂层。在原细胞中，支气管体在保护卵块方面承担了新的功能。怀孕的雌性原海豚在它们的前翼上将棘体储存在球状结构中，产卵后，将它们从翅膀上刮下来，并用后腿将它们刮到卵疤上。产卵雌虫的支气管体不同于雄虫和非产卵雌虫，在腿和前翅中发现了相应的修饰。通过使用形态和DNA序列数据来评估原丝虫物种之间的系统发育关系，这个项目将解决与独特的产卵综合征相关的各种特征是一次性获得还是逐步获得的问题。该项目将为一名博士生和博士后提供实地采样、数据收集、形态和分子遗传学方法方面的培训。该项目还将改善美国和巴西研究人员之间的合作关系，并将产生更好的识别叶蝉物种的工具。

DEB-0089671Christopher H. DietrichDr. Christopher Dietrich of the University of Illinois/Illinois Natural History Survey has been awarded a grant to study aspects of the evolution of reproductive behaviors in insects. This research should help explain the extraordinary success of this group of animals and may suggest improved methods for managing economically important species. Modern phylogenetic methods have greatly improved understanding of evolutionary processes at the level of genes and individual traits, but the processes by which multiple coordinated traits, or adaptive syndromes, evolve remain poorly understood. This project examines the evolution of several morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits related to the unique egg-laying (oviposition) syndrome of proconiine leafhoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Unlike most leafhoppers, which insert their eggs into plant tissue without coating the egg scars, certain proconiine species coat their egg scars with specialized secretory particles called brochosomes. In most leafhopper species, brochosomes are used primarily to provide a water-repellant coating on external surfaces of the body. In proconiines, brochosomes have assumed a new function in the protection of egg masses. Pregnant female proconiines store brochosomes in globs on their forewings and, after oviposition, scrape them off the wing and onto the egg scar using the hind legs. The brochosomes of ovipositing females differ from those of males and non-ovipositing females and corresponding modifications are found in the legs and forewings. By estimating the phylogenetic relationships among proconiine species using morphological and DNA sequence data, this project will address the question of whether the various traits related to the unique oviposition syndrome were acquired all at once or in a stepwise fashion. The project will provide training for a Ph.D. student and post-doctoral fellow in field sampling, data collection, morphological and molecular genetic methods. The project will also improve collaborative ties between U.S. and Brazilian researchers and will yield improved tools for identifying leafhopper species.