MIDGEPEET: A Collaborative Effort to Increase Taxonomic Expertise in Understudied Families of Nematocerous Diptera

MIDGEPEET：共同努力提高线虫双翅目科的分类学专业知识

• 批准号: 0933218
• 负责人: John Moulton
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-15 至 2015-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0933218&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MIDGEPEET; Collaborative; Effort; Increase; Taxonomic

Diptera, or true flies, are among Earth's most species-rich groups of organisms. Biting and nonbiting midges make up over 10% of the species, with a disproportionate number that are economically and medically important, including those that feed on blood, transmit disease agents, and facilitate aquatic nutrient cycling. Research will focus on net-winged midges, nonbiting midges, meniscus midges, sand/moth flies, black flies, and solitary midges; all are taxonomically challenging, understudied, and insufficiently staffed with expertise. The project will provide new information on biodiversity and ecology of these flies and a phylogenetic framework for natural classification and testing of biological hypotheses. New species will be described, identification keys prepared, and phylogenetic analyses conducted using morphological, molecular, and cytological data. The project team will educate the next generation of taxonomic experts through a synergistic process involving workshops and integrated methodologies and collaborations. The work will involve applications of modern technology, including internet-accessible electronic publications and identification keys, digital image galleries of specimens, digital reproductions of taxonomic literature, electronic species distribution maps, nomenclatural databases, and interactive databases of GIS-compatible specimen data. Museum collections will be augmented with material from fieldwork. Long-term benefits will include infusion of taxonomic and biodiversity expertise into the scientific community.

双翅目，或真正的苍蝇，是地球上物种最丰富的有机体群体之一。咬人和不咬人的蚊子占该物种的10%以上，具有重要经济和医学意义的蚊子数量不成比例，包括那些以血液为食、传播病原体和促进水生营养循环的蚊子。研究将集中在有网翅的蚊子、不咬人的蚊子、半月板蚊子、沙蝇/蛾子蝇、黑蝇和孤独的蚊子；所有这些在分类学上都具有挑战性，研究不足，而且缺乏专业知识。该项目将提供有关这些苍蝇的生物多样性和生态学的新信息，并为生物假说的自然分类和检验提供一个系统发育框架。将描述新物种，准备鉴定检索表，并使用形态、分子和细胞学数据进行系统发育分析。项目组将通过包括讲习班、综合方法和协作的协同过程，教育下一代分类学专家。这项工作将涉及现代技术的应用，包括可上网的电子出版物和识别钥匙、标本的数字图库、分类文献的数字复制品、电子物种分布图、命名数据库和与地理信息系统兼容的标本数据的互动数据库。博物馆的收藏品将用田野调查的材料来增加。长期的好处将包括向科学界注入分类学和生物多样性的专业知识。