REVSYS: Classification of Loxandrini and Species-level Revisions of Feronista, Australian Loxandrus and New World Oxycrepis and Stolonis (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

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This project will develop a classification and monographically revisespecies and higher-level groups of a tribe of beetles distributed inAustralia, and the Americas. Over 100 new species are expected to bedescribed in these taxa. The study will combine morphological andmolecular analysis to produce taxonomic hypotheses, generic and species(re)descriptions and diagnoses, full illustrations for internal/externalfeatures, species range maps, habitat data, identification keys forgenera and species in both internet/CD based and traditional printedforms, internet accessible specimen data and genus/species web pages.All Australian loxandrine species will be revised and described andtools for identification will be provided for non-specialist. This groupof beetles will then be available for consideration in conservationplanning.The focus taxa of this study are a group of Australian Carabid beetlesand this work will be the first major carabid clade in Australia toundergo cladistic analysis and modern classification. Australia isessential to our understanding of worldwide distribution patterns andthese beetles are a good model taxon for such studies. In terms ofevolutionary significance, this study will investigate reproductivebiology and predator avoidance by chemical defense. Using thephylogenetic hypothesis and ecological information, the history of howdefensive compound changes have occurred in this lineage will be broughtto light.This revisionary syntheses in systematics proposal for loxandrinecarabid beetles will bring together data for specimens from majorcollections worldwide and then return to these collections sorted,identified and databased specimens. Distributional and life historydata, and web-based and standard published tools for identification willbe made available to all biologists. Monographic revision of thesegenera and the tools to identify specimens will allow non-systematist toidentify these taxa and assess their occurrence in both ecological andhistorical terms. This will be a significant advance for a set of taxapresently completely unavailable for study.The project integrates graduate and undergraduate students throughout bytraining them in field studies, specimen collection, preparation, insectmorphology, sequence acquisition, data collection and phylogeneticanalyses. Undergraduates will gain experience working in laboratoryfacilities and museum collections and will learn basic identificationand insect morphology. Graduate students will be fully integrated intomuseum research, specimen collection, dissection, morphological andsequence analyses and development and implementation of web resources.