Collaborative Research: Spatial phylogenomics and diet evolution of the megadiverse plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae)

这个合作研究项目的目的是调查megadiversity植物错误的进化，昆虫家族盲蝽。植物臭虫包括超过11，350种描述的物种，并在20个物种最丰富的昆虫家族中排名。它们在生态系统中既是农作物害虫又是有益的捕食者。通过以前的NSF资助计划，已经为盲蝽科编制了大量的生物多样性数据集。然而，由于缺乏全面的系统发育假说，这个数据集的潜力，调查地理历史和宿主植物进化仍然没有开发。研究小组将使用超保守元素（UCE）数据构建植物昆虫的遗传学。这将有助于重建强大的部落和次部落一级的关系，同时调查该集团的时间和饮食演变。该项目还将研究植物昆虫多样性热点之一的北美西部的植物昆虫的地理历史和宿主植物相互作用。最后，该团队将研究生物多样性热点加州植物区系省（CA-FP）的植物错误的系统发育多样性，揭示模式是否与植物和脊椎动物的记录相似。作为更广泛影响的一部分，研究团队将培养一名博士后研究员和两名女博士。学生，促进科学知识的进步和促进学术界的多样性。本科生将通过暑期实习和独立研究参与，重点是加州的昆虫生物多样性。此外，还将开发一门关于昆虫生物多样性和保护的课程，特别侧重于植物昆虫和CA-FP，并将扩大现有课程，以突出加州的生物多样性。其他培训机会包括关于真正的昆虫生物多样性的短期课程和国际Miroid讲习班。广泛使用的植物昆虫系统目录将被更新和迁移到Taxon Works，确保获得准确和最新的信息。尽管有经济上的重要性和多样性，目前的几个系统发育假说盲蝽科是分类贫乏，解决不好，和冲突。该项目有三个主要目标。该团队将估计七个亚科的第一个强大的遗传学，并将子项目集中在三个最大的亚科Mirinae，Orthotylinae和Phylinae，推断进化时间表，并调查饮食转变。虽然大多数植物昆虫物种具有小的地方性范围，并且植食性谱系通常包含以单一宿主植物物种为食的物种，但一些物种的剧目包括许多植物科。这些属性的植物错误将使我们能够测试宿主植物驱动的多样化和新北区和CA-FP生物区系的地理历史的假设。植虫是一个很好的系统，以调查模式的系统发育多样性的CA-FP，唯一的生物多样性热点，完全居住在美国大陆：31%的~700描述种盲蝽科在加州是地方性的，大多数已在分类学修订研究，分布范围有据可查。我们将比较盲蝽科（第一个在CA-FP中详细研究的昆虫类群）的系统发育多样性模式与植物和脊椎动物中发现的系统发育多样性模式，以便将昆虫列入保护建议的地图。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This collaborative research project aims to investigate the evolution of the megadiverse plant bugs, the insect family Miridae. Plant bugs comprise over 11,350 described species and rank among the 20 most species-rich insect families. They play significant roles as both crop pests and beneficial predators in ecosystems. A massive biodiversity dataset has been compiled for Miridae through previous NSF-funded initiatives. However, due to the absence of comprehensive phylogenetic hypotheses, this dataset's potential to investigate biogeographic history and host plant evolution remains untapped. The research team will construct a phylogeny of plant bugs using ultraconserved element (UCE) data. This will enable the reconstruction of robust tribal and subtribal-level relationships, while investigating the temporal and dietary evolution of the group. The project will also examine the biogeographic history and host plant interactions of selected groups of plant bugs in Western North America, one of the hotspots of plant bug diversity. Finally, the team will study the phylogenetic diversity of plant bugs in the biodiversity hotspot California Floristic Province (CA-FP), revealing if patterns are similar to those documented for plants and vertebrates. As part of the broader impacts, the research team will train a postdoctoral researcher and two female Ph.D. students, contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge and promoting diversity in academia. Undergraduate students will be involved through summer internships and independent research, focusing on insect biodiversity in California. Additionally, a course on insect biodiversity and conservation, specifically focusing on plant bugs and the CA-FP, will be developed, and an existing course will be expanded to highlight California biodiversity. Additional training opportunities include a short course on true bug biodiversity and an International Miroid Workshop. The widely used Systematic Catalog of Plant Bugs will be updated and migrated to Taxon Works, ensuring access to accurate and up-to-date information.Despite both economic importance and diversity, the few current phylogenetic hypotheses of Miridae are taxon-poor, poorly resolved, and conflicting. This project has three major aims. The team will estimate the first robust phylogeny across the seven subfamilies and with subprojects focusing on the three largest subfamilies Mirinae, Orthotylinae, and Phylinae, infer evolutionary timelines, and investigate diet transitions. Though most plant bug species have small endemic ranges and phytophagous lineages typically contain species that feed on a single host plant species, some species’ repertoires comprise many plant families. These attributes of plant bugs will allow us to test hypotheses on host plant driven diversification and the biogeographic history of biota in the Nearctic and the CA-FP. Plant bugs are an excellent system to investigate patterns of phylogenetic diversity in the CA-FP, the only biodiversity hotspot that resides entirely within the continental United States: 31% of the ~700 described species of Miridae in California are endemic, most have been treated in taxonomic revisionary studies, and distribution ranges are well documented. We will contrast phylogenetic diversity patterns in Miridae – the first insect group to be studied in detail in the CA-FP – with those found in plants and vertebrates to put insects on the map for conservation recommendations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.