Discovering a New Insect Order in Papua New Guinea: SGER Proposal

2001年，在巴布亚新几内亚发现了一种不寻常的昆虫，它可能代表了昆虫生命树中一个尚未被认识的主要分支。国家科学基金会的资助将允许PI向巴布亚新几内亚发起一次探险，以收集更多的标本，记录行为，生物学和分布，并确定这一新群体的保护状况。这些标本的DNA和形态将被分析，以将其置于昆虫生命之树中，并验证其作为一个新的昆虫目的地位。虽然昆虫学家经常发现新的昆虫物种，但一个明确的新昆虫目已经被描述了将近一个世纪。这种新昆虫可能在破译昆虫多样化模式方面发挥关键作用，并为了解复杂的社会种姓制度是如何发展的提供洞见。这项工作具有更广泛的影响，包括本科生在发现过程的各个阶段。四名本科生，包括两名太平洋土著岛民，将参与实地考察、实验室工作、数据分析和对这种新昆虫目的描述。通过让这些学生参与一项激动人心的科学发现，PI将为他们未来长期参与科学铺平道路。

In 2001 an unusual insect from Papua New Guinea was discovered that potentially represents a major unrecognized branch of the Insect Tree of Life. NSF funding will allow the PI to launch an expedition to Papua New Guinea to collect additional specimens, to document behavior, biology, and distribution, and to determine the conservation status of this new group. The DNA and morphology of these specimens will be analyzed to place it in the Insect Tree of Life and validate its status as a new insect Order. While entomologists routinely discover new insect species, it has been nearly a century since what is unambiguously a new insect Order has been described. This new insect may play a pivotal role in deciphering patterns of insect diversification and provide insight into how complex social caste systems developed. The work has a broader impact by including undergraduate students in all stages of the discovery process. Four undergraduates, including two Native Pacific Islanders, will participate in the fieldwork, lab work, data analysis, and in the description of this new insect Order. By involving these students in an exciting scientific discovery, the PI will be paving the way for their future long-term participation in science.