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

2001年，来自巴布亚新几内亚的一种不同寻常的昆虫被发现，它可能代表着昆虫生命树的一个主要的未被认识的分支。NSF的资金将允许PI发起一次前往巴布亚新几内亚的探险队，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态。这些标本的DNA和形态将被分析，以将其置于昆虫生命树中，并验证其作为一个新昆虫目的地位。虽然昆虫学家经常发现新的昆虫物种，但自明确描述一个新的昆虫目以来，已经过去了近一个世纪。这种新的昆虫可能在破译昆虫多样化的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了洞察。这项工作将本科生纳入发现过程的所有阶段，从而产生了更广泛的影响。包括两名太平洋原住民在内的四名本科生将参与实地考察、实验室工作、数据分析以及对这一新昆虫目的描述。通过让这些学生参与一项令人兴奋的科学发现，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.