Collaborative Research: Unraveling a Gordian knot: Biodiversity of Gordian worms, phylum Nematomorpha, in the New World

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Abstract Horsehair worms are parasites of insects, but are free-living in aquatic environments as adults. They are fascinating from an ecological/behavioral perspective, as these parasites modify host behavior, leading the definitive host to enter water, where the adult worms are released. Since morphological identification of horsehair worms larvae is problematic, a novel molecular approach will be used to identify larvae in hosts. This will facilitate linking the juvenile and adult stages, essential to understanding each species' ecology and life history. The proposed research will also greatly increase our understanding of these parasites by documenting their diversity and evolutionary relationships in the New World using DNA and anatomical characteristics. This project would represent a major advance in the study of a very interesting, phylogenetically key, but poorly known phylum. The results are likely to have an impact on our understanding of the evolution of exoskeleteon-bearing organisms, including model organisms in the phyla Arthropoda and Nematoda. It will involve three early career scientists and foster international scientific collaborations. Graduate and undergraduate students will have large roles in this project from fieldwork to publication and presentation. Information will be made available to scientists and the public through an internet website (www.nematomorpha.net), scholarly publications, and education programs targeting K-12 students and college-level instructors.