DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Repeated Reverse Island Colonization of Hawaiian Bark Lice

夏威夷群岛是生物多样性的热点，也是研究进化和新物种出现速度的天然实验室。事实上，夏威夷的昆虫是无脊椎动物中物种形成速度最快的。在夏威夷，树皮虱属（Psocoptera目）是一个多样化且迅速形成物种的群体，它有51个已描述的物种，估计超过100个物种，但很少受到关注。本研究的重点是对夏威夷毡毡虫的研究，包括记录夏威夷毡毡虫的多样性，分析毡毡虫物种之间的关系，以及调查到达夏威夷的毡毡虫殖民者的地理起源。初步的DNA序列数据表明，夏威夷原翅虫可能以极快的速度多样化，其物种形成率高于任何其他昆虫谱系。这些数据还支持挑战夏威夷群岛殖民和多样化标准模式的新模式。这项研究将提高对夏威夷群岛物种形成过程的理解，提供新物种出现速度的见解，并提供关于夏威夷树皮虱多样性和栖息地利用的重要信息。新物种的描述，物种分布的记录，以及当地多样性热点的识别，将为夏威夷的生物多样性保护提供重要的信息。

The Hawaiian Islands are a hotspot of biodiversity and a natural laboratory for the study of evolution and how quickly new species arise. In fact, Hawaiian insects have the fastest speciation rates documented among invertebrates. One diverse and rapidly speciating group in Hawaii is the bark louse (Order Psocoptera) genus Ptycta, which has 51 described species and more than an estimated 100 species, but has received little attention. This research focuses on the study of Hawaiian Ptycta, including documenting the diversity of Hawaiian Ptycta, analyzing relationships among Ptycta species, and investigating the geographic origin of the Ptycta colonist(s) that reached Hawaii. Preliminary DNA sequence data suggest that Hawaiian Ptycta may have diversified extremely rapidly, with a speciation rate higher than any other insect lineage. These data also support novel patterns that challenge the standard patterns of colonization and diversification on the Hawaiian Islands. This study will improve understanding of the processes driving speciation on the Hawaiian Islands, offer insights into how quickly new species arise, and provide important information on diversity and habitat use of Hawaiian bark lice. Description of new species, documentation of species distribution, and identification of local diversity hotspots will also result, providing important information for conservation of biodiversity in Hawaii.