Systematics Of The New World Grasshopper Subfamily Melanoplinae

新世界蚱蜢亚科 Melanoplinae 的系统学

• 批准号: 0108358
• 负责人: Daniel Otte
• 金额: $ 21.72万
• 依托单位: Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2005-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0108358&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Systematics; New; World; Grasshopper; Subfamily

ABSTRACT This research involves a taxonomic revision of grasshoppers of the subfamily Melanoplinae, accounting for 37% of the known species north of Panama in the Americas. This project includes collaborative activities among scientists in the U.S., Argentina, and Mexico, and will generate new collections of material from northern Mexico, Mato Grosso, Brazil, and highlands of Ecuador. Existing classifications of New World grasshoppers are almost all wholly or substantially artificial. Phylogenetic analyses in this study will form the basis for a natural, predictive classification. Special emphasis will be placed on the large and important genus Melanoplus. Described species of this genus account for more than half those of the subfamily and perhaps 20% of American species remain undescribed. The project will result in a clarification of relationships among species groups and genera of the subfamily; production of comprehensive electronic taxonomic "publications" including catalogs and interactive, web accessible diagnostic keys; collection of new specimens and species; an analysis of evolutionary patterns within this diverse group. Accurate identification and predictive classifications for melanopline grasshoppers will be a valuable resource for many biologists. These animals are of interest to a wide range of researchers for several reasons. Among them are documented rates of speciation more rapid than known for any other terrestrial environment. Species of the subfamily annually consume 6-12% of available forage and are serious pests in crops and gardens. Currently, it is difficult to identify species or to distinguish among those that are harmful, beneficial, or neutral with regard to agriculture. Increasingly, these insects are of interest to conservation biologists as well. The reference materials produced will have both research and teaching applications.

摘要：本研究对美洲巴拿马北部已知种37%的黑蝗亚科蝗虫进行了分类修订。该项目包括美国、阿根廷和墨西哥科学家之间的合作活动，并将收集来自墨西哥北部、巴西马托格罗索州和厄瓜多尔高地的新材料。现有的新世界蚱蜢分类几乎全部或基本上都是人为的。系统发育分析在这项研究将形成一个自然的，预测性分类的基础。特别的重点将放在大而重要的黑色素加属。已描述的这一属的物种占亚科物种的一半以上，可能有20%的美洲物种仍未被描述。该项目将导致澄清亚科的种群和属之间的关系；制作全面的电子分类学“出版物”，包括目录和交互式的、可在网上访问的诊断密钥；收集新标本和新物种；对这个多样化群体的进化模式的分析。准确的识别和预测分类将是许多生物学家的宝贵资源。由于几个原因，这些动物引起了许多研究人员的兴趣。其中有记录的物种形成速度比已知的任何其他陆地环境都要快。该亚科的物种每年消耗6-12%的可利用牧草，是农作物和花园的严重害虫。目前，很难确定物种，也很难区分对农业有害、有益或中性的物种。保护生物学家对这些昆虫也越来越感兴趣。制作的参考资料将具有研究和教学用途。