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

网纹夜蛾是一种奇特的昆虫，主要分布在热带森林中。它们的生物学是所有昆虫中研究最差的一类，尽管众所周知，织网虫表现出一系列奇怪的生物现象。它们是唯一一种用前腿上的腺体吐丝的昆虫，无论是幼虫还是成虫都是这样做的。它们表现出母性关怀，经常成群结队地生活在一起，用丝绸建造巨大的、有时是复杂的画廊，它们在其中生活和抚养幼崽。与吐丝有关的画廊类型和行为在整个种群中差异很大，对蚕丝蛋白质的组成和丝绸生产的遗传基础知之甚少。虽然已知的绢丝只有大约400种，但估计可能有1500多种新物种已经在馆藏中，但还没有正式描述，还有更多的物种在自然界等待发现。蛛网的分类处于糟糕的状态，从未使用现代的系统发育基础进行更新。三所大学的实验室之间的合作研究和培训项目将召集一组拥有调查胚胎翅目系统发育、行为生态学和分类的专业知识的研究人员。在杨百翰大学，将使用分子和形态数据进行系统发育分析，并将形成改进的群体自然分类的基础。在圣克拉拉大学，昆虫的生物学方面，如群体构建、母体护理和栖息地要求，将通过通过系统发育追踪这些特征，在系统发育的背景下进行研究。最后，在加州大学河滨分校，将通过发现几个物种中编码丝绸的DNA序列来研究丝绸生产的遗传基础，并将在织网机系统发育的背景下调查这些丝绸基因的变异。结果将在科学期刊上传播，并通过现代数字技术的应用，包括数字图库、文献的数字复制、基于数字矩阵的识别钥匙等。通过策展和来自实地工作的新材料，将增加网络旋转器的博物馆藏品。这一合作项目代表了有史以来第一次对织布工的系统发展和生物学进行全面的调查。由于蠕虫通常发生在脆弱的生态系统中，更好地了解这一群体可能对保护这些栖息地具有重要意义。此外，这项工作将促进不同领域的生物学家之间的多学科合作，并促进对博士后研究员和学生进行多学科研究的培训。这项研究将让本科生广泛参与，为他们提供坚实的科学背景，包括适当的研究方法和伦理道德。当项目实现时，通过公布的结果，每个人都将更容易接触到一个历史上鲜为人知的昆虫群体，而且由于几个学术层面的研究人员接受了广泛的跨学科培训，将对科学界产生积极的长期影响。

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.