Evolution of a Unique Ovipositional Syndrome in the Leafhopper Tribe Proconiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

christopher H. dietrich博士。伊利诺斯大学/伊利诺斯州自然历史调查中心的克里斯托弗·迪特里希（Christopher Dietrich）获得了一项资助，用于研究昆虫生殖行为进化的各个方面。这项研究应该有助于解释这群动物的非凡成功，并可能为管理具有重要经济价值的物种提供改进的方法。现代系统发育方法极大地提高了对基因和个体性状水平上的进化过程的理解，但对多种协调性状或适应性综合征的进化过程仍然知之甚少。本项目研究了与原叶蝉（半翅目：蝉科）独特的产卵（产卵）综合征相关的几种形态、行为和生理特征的进化。与大多数叶蝉不同的是，叶蝉将卵插入植物组织而不包裹在卵痕上，而某些原叶蝉物种用一种叫做溴小体的特殊分泌颗粒包裹在卵痕上。在大多数叶蝉物种中，小体主要用于在身体的外表面提供一层防水涂层。在proconiine中，染色体体在保护卵群方面承担了新的功能。怀孕的雌保coniines将染色体储存在它们的前翅上，产卵后，用后腿把它们从翅膀上刮下来，放在卵痕上。产卵雌虫的染色体与雄性和非产卵雌虫的染色体不同，在腿和前翅上发现了相应的修饰。通过使用形态和DNA序列数据来估计原柯宁物种之间的系统发育关系，本项目将解决与独特产卵综合征相关的各种性状是一次性获得还是逐步获得的问题。该项目将为一名博士生和博士后提供实地采样、数据收集、形态学和分子遗传学方法方面的培训。该项目还将改善美国和巴西研究人员之间的合作关系，并将改进识别叶蝉物种的工具。

DEB-0089671Christopher H. DietrichDr. Christopher Dietrich of the University of Illinois/Illinois Natural History Survey has been awarded a grant to study aspects of the evolution of reproductive behaviors in insects. This research should help explain the extraordinary success of this group of animals and may suggest improved methods for managing economically important species. Modern phylogenetic methods have greatly improved understanding of evolutionary processes at the level of genes and individual traits, but the processes by which multiple coordinated traits, or adaptive syndromes, evolve remain poorly understood. This project examines the evolution of several morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits related to the unique egg-laying (oviposition) syndrome of proconiine leafhoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Unlike most leafhoppers, which insert their eggs into plant tissue without coating the egg scars, certain proconiine species coat their egg scars with specialized secretory particles called brochosomes. In most leafhopper species, brochosomes are used primarily to provide a water-repellant coating on external surfaces of the body. In proconiines, brochosomes have assumed a new function in the protection of egg masses. Pregnant female proconiines store brochosomes in globs on their forewings and, after oviposition, scrape them off the wing and onto the egg scar using the hind legs. The brochosomes of ovipositing females differ from those of males and non-ovipositing females and corresponding modifications are found in the legs and forewings. By estimating the phylogenetic relationships among proconiine species using morphological and DNA sequence data, this project will address the question of whether the various traits related to the unique oviposition syndrome were acquired all at once or in a stepwise fashion. The project will provide training for a Ph.D. student and post-doctoral fellow in field sampling, data collection, morphological and molecular genetic methods. The project will also improve collaborative ties between U.S. and Brazilian researchers and will yield improved tools for identifying leafhopper species.