Collaborative Research: Phylogeny, Behavior, and Silk Evolution of Webspinners (Embioptera), A Little-known Insect Order

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Webspinners (order Embioptera) are a curious group of insects foundmainly in tropical forests. Their biology is among the most poorly studiedof any insect group even though webspinners are known to exhibit a range ofunique biological phenomena. They are the only insects that spin silk fromglands in their front legs, and they do so as both immatures and adults.They exhibit maternal care and often live in groups where they use silk toconstruct large and sometimes intricate galleries in which they live andrear their young. The types of galleries and behaviors associated with silkspinning vary considerably throughout the group, and nothing is known aboutthe composition of silk proteins and the genetic basis for silk production.Although there are only about 400 species of webspinners known, estimatessuggest there may be more than 1500 new species already in collections butnot formally described and many more in Nature awaiting discovery.Webspinner classification is in a poor state never having been updated usinga modern, phylogenetic basis. A collaborative research and training projectbetween laboratories at three universities will assemble a group ofresearchers with the expertise to investigate the phylogeny, behavioralecology and classification of the Embioptera. At Brigham Young University,phylogenetic analyses will be conducted using molecular and morphologicaldata and will form the basis of an improved natural classification of thegroup. At Santa Clara University, biological aspects of the insects such ascolony construction, maternal care and habitat requirements will be examinedwithin a phylogenetic context by tracing these features through thephylogeny. Finally, at the University of California, Riverside, the geneticbasis for silk production will be examined by discovering the DNA sequencesthat code for silk in several species, and the variation in these silk geneswill be investigated within the context of webspinner phylogeny. Resultswill be disseminated in scientific journals and through applications ofmodern, digital technology including digital image galleries, digitalreproductions of literature, digital matrix-based identification keys, etc.Museum holdings of webspinners will be enhanced by curation and new materialfrom fieldwork. This collaborative project represents the first comprehensiveinvestigation of the phylogeny and biology of webspinners ever done. Sinceembiids occur in often fragile ecosystems, better knowledge of the groupwill likely have important relevance to conservation of these habitats.Also, this work will foster multidisciplinary collaboration betweenbiologists in disparate fields and facilitate the training of postdoctoralfellows and students in multidisciplinary research. The research willinvolve undergraduates extensively to give them a firm background inscience, including proper research methods and ethics. When the projectobjectives are met, a historically little-known insect group will be moreaccessible to everyone through the published results, and a positivelong-term impact on the scientific community will occur because of the broadcross-disciplinary training of researchers at several academic levels.