Towards a Systematic and Evolutionary Synthesis of the Neotropical Exophthalmus Genus Complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)

项目摘要RIG：对新热带突眼属复合体进行系统和进化合成(鞘翅目：弯翅目：Entiminae)PI：Nico M.Franz(UPRM)，DEB-0641231本研究将为突眼属复合体的全面系统和进化合成做准备。突眼属复合体是一种主要的新热带辐射的象甲，有许多西印度群岛特有的物种，包括几种重要的柑橘树害虫。在波多黎各、多米尼加共和国、牙买加和瓜德罗普的实地工作将为形态和分子研究提供大量新鲜标本。将综合现有和新的关于象甲分布、寄主植物范围和繁殖行为的信息。将准备一份基于形态的突眼症分支分析，包括70个或更多的样本分类群。结合探索性的分子研究，分析将建立必要的系统发育结构，以识别复合体中的主要属和种。拟议的活动将振兴波多黎各大学马亚圭兹分校在新热带昆虫系统学方面的长期研究传统。来自波多黎各和拉丁美洲的参与的本科生和研究生将是最直接的受益者。对象甲的分类关注解决了一项紧迫的任务，即在一个极其多样化的昆虫谱系上培养年轻的专家。这些结果还将有助于应用昆虫学家识别攻击许多国家的栽培品种的物种，并根据相关生物变量的系统发育顺序促进对具有害虫状态的物种的发生的理解。

Project AbstractRIG: Towards a systematic and evolutionary synthesis of the NeotropicalExophthalmus genus complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)PI: Nico M. Franz (UPRM), DEB-0641231The proposed research will prepare the stage for a comprehensive systematic and evolutionary synthesis of the Exophthalmus genus complex, a major Neotropical radiation of weevils with many species endemic to the West Indies, including several important citrus tree pests. Field work in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Guadeloupe will provide a large pool of fresh specimens for morphological and molecular study. New and existing information on the weevils' distributions, host plant ranges, and reproductive behaviors will be synthesized. A morphology-based cladistic analysis of Exophthalmus will be prepared including 70 or more exemplar taxa. Combined with an exploratory molecular study, the analysis will establish the necessary phylogenetic structure for recognizing major clades of genera and species in the complex. The proposed activities will revitalize a longstanding research tradition in Neotropical insect systematics at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Participating undergraduate and graduate students from Puerto Rico and Latin America will be the most immediate beneficiaries. The taxonomic focus on weevils addresses an urgent mandate to build up young specialists on a megadiverse insect lineage. The results will also aid applied entomologists in the identification of species attacking cultivars in numerous countries, and foster an understanding of the occurrence of species with pest status based on a phylogenetic ordering of relevant biological variables.