Taxonomic, Phylogenetic, and Evolutionary Studies of Horse flies (Diptera:Tabanidae): An Integrated Approach to Systematics Training

虻科（马蝇）包括分布在世界各地的约4000个现存物种。成年后几乎都是吸血动物，但也有许多是重要的传粉者。马蝇的生物学和分类学具有重要的历史遗产，但由于马蝇分类学家数量的代际减少以及许多标准苍蝇特征通常相似的“困难”形态学，现代修订工作落后于其他双翅目类群。目前的分类严重偏向于先前对已知蝇类的工作，而许多较小的类群需要解决，以提供背景和新的特征，从而可以进行更全面的系统发育修订。本研究将整合现代分类学和系统学的工具和实践，以解决对马蝇生物多样性和分类的日益关注的需要。该研究团队利用专著、系统发育和生物信息学数据生成方面的专业知识，扩展了一个成功的合作框架，并以以前加强分类学专业知识伙伴关系（PEET）项目发起的积极努力为基础。该项目将促进来自澳大利亚和美国的教师和学生在实验室和实地研究方面的合作。这项工作的结果将通过与该项目直接相关的数据库和网站，以及分类工具和项目数据库的整合，向科学家和公众提供。项目旨在鼓励学员之间的指导和合作。除了他们的分类学工作，每个学员将被要求专注于三个一般领域之一：生物信息学技术，计算/分析技术，或外展方法。随着他们在这些领域的发展，他们将被期望在他们选择的专业知识方面相互指导，并生产通过项目门户网站传播的产品。该项目包括博士后助理、研究生和本科生的学术培训。此外，还有一个全面的外展计划，包括通过项目网站和其他一些由合作大学制作的本科和K-12级别的在线资源以及通过国家进化综合中心的教育和外展资源提供的教育材料。

The fly family Tabanidae (horse flies) includes an estimated 4000 extant species distributed throughout the world. Nearly all are blood-feeders as adults, but many are also important pollinators of flowers. The biology and taxonomy of horse flies has an important historical legacy, but modern revisionary work has lagged behind other dipteran groups due to a generational reduction in the number of horse fly taxonomists and to a perceived "difficult" morphology, which is often similar for many standard fly characters. Current classifications are heavily biased by previous work on better known fly groups, while many smaller groups need to be addressed to provide context and new characters from which more comprehensive phylogenetic revision can proceed. This study will integrate modern tools and practices in taxonomy and systematics to address the need for increased attention to horse fly biodiversity and classification. The research team extends a successful collaborative framework with expertise in monographic, phylogenetic, and bioinformatic data generation, and builds on active efforts initiated by previous Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) projects.This project will foster collaboration in laboratory and field studies between faculty and students from Australia and the US. The results of the work will be made available to scientists and the general public via a database and web site directly associated with the project, as well as the integration of taxonomic tools and a project database. Projects are designed to encourage both mentorship and collaboration amongst the student trainees. In addition to their taxonomic work, each trainee will be asked to specialize in one of three general areas: bioinformatics techniques, computational/analytical techniques, or outreach methods. As they develop in these areas, they will be expected to mentor each other in their chosen expertise and to produce products that are disseminated through the projects web portals. The project involves a strong component of academic training for postdoctoral associates, graduate, and undergraduate students. In addition, there is a comprehensive program of outreach, including educational material that will be presented via the project web site and several other online resources for undergraduate and K-12 levels produced by the collaborating universities and through the Education and Outreach resources of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.