PEET: Monographic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of Athetine Aleocharines (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini)

9978110詹姆斯·阿什在陆地生物中，甲虫仍然是已知的最贫穷的主要动物群体之一，物种多样性已经被确认为数万种，但可能远远超过这个数字。它们的生态意义也很大，特别是粉虱亚科的金龟子，被认为是世界各地土壤线虫和其他土壤微节肢动物的主要捕食者。然而，对甲虫分类知识的贫乏阻碍了对这些动物的一般分类以及生态学家、资源管理者和其他需要可靠信息和随时获得准确数据的人在应用和使用识别关键字方面的进展。堪萨斯大学的詹姆斯·阿什博士和他的同事们继续开展甲虫系统学研究和培训的富有成效的计划，在加强分类专门知识伙伴关系(PEET)下开展第二系列项目，其中将包括培训至少两名甲虫系统学新的分类学专家；出版分类专著和对选定的流动甲虫组进行修订；以及以网上可访问的格式对标本信息、地理分布、形态数据、图像和插图以及识别检索表进行数据库处理。阿什博士还帮助维护了堪萨斯大学自然历史博物馆的网站，该网站托管着NSF支持的所有Peet项目。

9978110James Ashe Among terrestrial organisms, the beetles remain one of the poorest known major groups of animals, with species diversity already recognized in the tens of thousands but possibly much greater than that. Their ecological significance is also great, and in particular the staphylinid rove beetles of the subfamily Aleocharinae are thought to be major predators of soil nematodes and other soil microarthropods worldwide. Yet, the poor state of knowledge of beetle taxonomy impedes progress in general classification of these animals and in application and use of identification keys by ecologists, resource managers, and others needing reliable information and ready access to accurate data. Continuing a productive program of research and training in beetle systematics, Dr. James Ashe and colleagues at the University of Kansas embark on a second series of projects under the Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET), which will include training of minimally two new taxonomic experts in beetle systematics; production of taxonomic monographs and revisions of selected groups of rove beetles; and databasing of specimen information, geographic distributions, morphological data, images and illustrations, and identification keys in web-accessible formats. Dr. Ashe also helps maintain the website that hosts all of the NSF-supported PEET projects, at the University of Kansas's Natural History Museum.