Phylogeny of Tiger Moths (Arctiidae) and Evolution of Courtship & Defense Behaviors

天蛾科是研究自然选择和性选择在形成求爱和防御行为中的相对作用的模式系统。在它们的进化过程中，两种不同的防御信号(无融合，超声波)被独立地结合到求爱行为中。植物来源的化学物质被隔离并用于幼虫和成虫的防御，其中一类，吡咯里西丁生物碱，已经在许多物种的雄性求偶信息素中被结合。另一种防御信号是超声波，成年蝙蝠使用超声波来阻止蝙蝠的捕食。第二种防御模式随后被纳入到一些北极物种的求偶行为中。到目前为止，我们研究虎蛾防御和交配信号进化的能力一直受到缺乏该科所有分类水平的现代系统研究的阻碍。拟议的工作将包括修订、系统和比较生物学部分。将获得北极雄性求偶和超声波产生结构的精确描述，并使用这些数据和其他数据得出系统树。

The moth family Arctiidae represents a model system for investigating the relative roles of natural and sexual selection in molding courtship and defensive behaviors. During their evolution, two different defense signals (aposematism, ultrasound) have been incorporated independently into courtship behaviors. Plant derived chemicals are sequestered and used for defense in larvae and adults, and one class of these, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, have been incorporated into male courtship pheromones in many species. Another defense signal, ultrasound, is used by adults to deter bat predation. The second defense mode is then incorporated into courtship behaviors of some arctiid species. To date, our ability to study the evolution of tiger moth defense and mating signals has been hampered by the lack of modern systematic studies at all taxonomic levels of the family. The proposed work will comprise revisionary systematic and comparative biology components. Precise descriptions of arctiid male courtship and ultrasound producing structures will be obtained, and systematic tree derived using these and other data.