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

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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.