PEET: Phylogenetic Systematics of Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea)

PEET：介壳虫的系统发育系统学（半翅目：球虫总科）

• 批准号: 0118718
• 负责人: Penelope Gullan
• 金额: $ 89.32万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-10-01 至 2007-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0118718&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PEET; Phylogenetic; Systematics; Scale; Insects

The scale insects (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccoidea) are small, plant-sucking insects withextraordinary biological and morphological characteristics. They display unusual development, sexual dimorphism, and have a remarkable diversity of genetic systems, including parthenogenesis, hermaphroditism and paternal genome elimination. Many species are important pests, causing plant damage via sap removal, growth distortion, pathogen vectoring and honeydew contamination. Although more than 7500 species of scale insects have been described, there are many additional undescribed species, and a substantial proportion of the named species, especially in the tropics and southern hemisphere, are difficult or impossible to identify with existing literature. Scale insect taxonomy is based largely on microscopic cuticular features of adult females and identification requires special technical skills in microscope slide preparation. Worldwide the number of scale insect researchers (coccidologists), especially taxonomists, is declining and recruitment via student training is minimal. This project combines the expertise of scale insect systematists, Drs. P.J. Gullan and D.R. Miller, and molecular systematist, Dr. B.B. Normark, to train coccidology students in taxonomic monography, phylogenetic systematics and computer-based data analysis, illustration and dissemination. Three clades of Coccoidea that display unusual modes of reproduction and are poorly-known and/or difficult to identify are targeted for study. These are (1) the tribe Iceryini of the Margarodidae, (2) the genus Chionaspis Signoret, tribe Diaspidini, of the armored scale family, Diaspididae, and (3) the subfamily Myzolecaniinae of the soft scale family, Coccidae. Students will be trained in field techniques and in taxonomic and curatorial methods, as well as in phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular character data. The trainee researchers will utilize the specimens and specialist librariesof the two largest scale insect collections in North America - the United States NationalCollection of Coccoidea at the United States Department of Agriculture, Maryland, and the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis. Students will learn to score morphological and molecular characters, to manage those data using computer programs, to use the data to infer phylogenetic trees, and to use those trees to construct classifications and infer the evolution of biological traits. This will result in training a new generation of taxonomic specialists on these important insects. Products of the project will include published monographs, databases, and web-based interactive keys that employ digital images that will have broad impact and utility to ecologists, agriculturists, conservation biologists, geneticists, and others.

介壳虫（昆虫纲：半翅目：蚧总科）是一种具有特殊生物学和形态学特征的小型植食性昆虫。它们表现出不寻常的发育，两性异形，并具有显着的遗传系统多样性，包括单性生殖，两性畸形和父系基因组消除。许多物种是重要的害虫，通过汁液去除、生长扭曲、病原体传播和蜜露污染造成植物损害。虽然已经描述了超过7500种的介壳虫，但还有许多其他未描述的物种，并且很大一部分命名的物种，特别是在热带和南半球，很难或不可能与现有的文献相鉴别。介壳虫的分类主要是基于成年雌性的显微表皮特征，鉴定需要特殊的显微镜载玻片制备技术。在世界范围内，介壳虫研究人员（介壳虫学家），特别是分类学家的数量正在下降，通过学生培训招聘的人数很少。该项目结合了介壳虫系统学家P. J. Gullan博士和D.R.米勒，和分子系统学家，博士B. B。在分类学专著、系统发育分类学和计算机数据分析、图解和传播方面对球菌学学生进行培训。三个分支的Coccoidea，显示不寻常的繁殖模式，是鲜为人知的和/或难以识别的目标进行研究。它们是（1）珠蚧科的Iceryini族，（2）盾蚧科的Chionaspis Signoret属，盾蚧族，和（3）软蚧科的Myzolecaniinae亚科。学生将接受野外技术、分类学和管理学方法以及形态学和分子特征数据的系统发育分析方面的培训。实习研究人员将利用北美两个最大规模昆虫收藏馆的标本和专业图书馆--位于马里兰州的美国农业部的美国国家椰子总科收藏馆和位于戴维斯的加州大学的博哈特昆虫学博物馆。学生将学习评分形态和分子特征，使用计算机程序管理这些数据，使用这些数据来推断系统发育树，并使用这些树来构建分类和推断生物性状的进化。 这将导致培训新一代的分类专家对这些重要的昆虫。 该项目的产品将包括出版的专著、数据库和基于网络的交互式密钥，这些密钥采用了对生态学家、农学家、保护生物学家、遗传学家等具有广泛影响和实用性的数字图像。