DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Repeated Reverse Island Colonization of Hawaiian Bark Lice

夏威夷群岛是生物多样性的热点，也是研究进化和新物种出现速度的天然实验室。 事实上，夏威夷昆虫在无脊椎动物中有最快的物种形成速度。 在夏威夷，一个多样且快速形成的类群是树皮虱属（Ptycta），它有51个描述的物种和估计的100多个物种，但很少受到关注。本研究的重点是研究夏威夷褶伞，包括记录夏威夷褶伞的多样性，分析褶伞物种之间的关系，并调查到达夏威夷的褶伞殖民者的地理起源。 初步的DNA序列数据表明，夏威夷褶虫可能已经非常迅速地多样化，其物种形成率高于任何其他昆虫谱系。 这些数据也支持新的模式，挑战夏威夷群岛的殖民化和多样化的标准模式。 这项研究将提高对夏威夷群岛物种形成过程的理解，深入了解新物种的出现速度，并提供有关夏威夷树皮虱多样性和栖息地利用的重要信息。 新物种的描述，物种分布的文件，并确定当地的多样性热点也将导致，在夏威夷的生物多样性保护提供重要的信息。

The Hawaiian Islands are a hotspot of biodiversity and a natural laboratory for the study of evolution and how quickly new species arise. In fact, Hawaiian insects have the fastest speciation rates documented among invertebrates. One diverse and rapidly speciating group in Hawaii is the bark louse (Order Psocoptera) genus Ptycta, which has 51 described species and more than an estimated 100 species, but has received little attention. This research focuses on the study of Hawaiian Ptycta, including documenting the diversity of Hawaiian Ptycta, analyzing relationships among Ptycta species, and investigating the geographic origin of the Ptycta colonist(s) that reached Hawaii. Preliminary DNA sequence data suggest that Hawaiian Ptycta may have diversified extremely rapidly, with a speciation rate higher than any other insect lineage. These data also support novel patterns that challenge the standard patterns of colonization and diversification on the Hawaiian Islands. This study will improve understanding of the processes driving speciation on the Hawaiian Islands, offer insights into how quickly new species arise, and provide important information on diversity and habitat use of Hawaiian bark lice. Description of new species, documentation of species distribution, and identification of local diversity hotspots will also result, providing important information for conservation of biodiversity in Hawaii.