Towards a Systematic and Evolutionary Synthesis of the Neotropical Exophthalmus Genus Complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)

项目摘要RIG：新热带突眼属复合体的系统和进化综合（鞘翅目：突眼科：突眼亚科）Franz（UPRM），DEB-0641231拟议的研究将为Exophthalmus属复合体的全面系统和进化合成做好准备，Exophthalmus属复合体是一种主要的新热带辐射象鼻虫，具有许多西印度群岛特有的物种，包括几种重要的柑橘树害虫。在波多黎各、多米尼加共和国、牙买加和瓜德罗普的实地工作将为形态和分子研究提供大量新鲜标本。将综合有关象甲的分布、寄主植物范围和繁殖行为的新的和现有的信息。将准备一个基于形态学的支序分析，包括70个或更多的范例分类群。结合探索性分子研究，分析将建立必要的系统发育结构，以识别复杂的属和种的主要分支。拟议的活动将振兴马亚圭斯波多黎各大学新热带昆虫分类学方面的长期研究传统。来自波多黎各和拉丁美洲的参与本科生和研究生将是最直接的受益者。对象鼻虫的分类学关注解决了一个紧迫的任务，即培养一个巨大多样性昆虫谱系的年轻专家。研究结果还将有助于应用昆虫学家在许多国家的品种攻击的物种识别，并促进了解的发生与害虫状态的物种的基础上的系统发育排序的相关生物变量。

Project AbstractRIG: Towards a systematic and evolutionary synthesis of the NeotropicalExophthalmus genus complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)PI: Nico M. Franz (UPRM), DEB-0641231The proposed research will prepare the stage for a comprehensive systematic and evolutionary synthesis of the Exophthalmus genus complex, a major Neotropical radiation of weevils with many species endemic to the West Indies, including several important citrus tree pests. Field work in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Guadeloupe will provide a large pool of fresh specimens for morphological and molecular study. New and existing information on the weevils' distributions, host plant ranges, and reproductive behaviors will be synthesized. A morphology-based cladistic analysis of Exophthalmus will be prepared including 70 or more exemplar taxa. Combined with an exploratory molecular study, the analysis will establish the necessary phylogenetic structure for recognizing major clades of genera and species in the complex. The proposed activities will revitalize a longstanding research tradition in Neotropical insect systematics at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Participating undergraduate and graduate students from Puerto Rico and Latin America will be the most immediate beneficiaries. The taxonomic focus on weevils addresses an urgent mandate to build up young specialists on a megadiverse insect lineage. The results will also aid applied entomologists in the identification of species attacking cultivars in numerous countries, and foster an understanding of the occurrence of species with pest status based on a phylogenetic ordering of relevant biological variables.