ARTS: Litter Bugs: revisionary and phylogenetic research on the least studied true bug infraorder (Insecta: Hemiptera: Dipsocoromorpha)

艺术：垃圾虫：对研究最少的真实昆虫下目（昆虫纲：半翅目：双翅目）的修订和系统发育研究

• 批准号: 1257702
• 负责人: Christiane Weirauch
• 金额: $ 43.75万
• 依托单位: University of California-Riverside
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-01 至 2018-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1257702&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ARTS; Litter; Bugs; revisionary; phylogenetic

Museums house an untapped wealth of biodiversity in their unsorted shelf collections of samples from around the world. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, together with an international team of collaborators, will investigate the biodiversity of "Litter Bugs" (true bug infraorder Dipsocoromorpha). These insects are tiny, inhabit cryptic microhabitats, and show highest species diversity in the tropics. Using trap samples already housed in museums combined with some additional fieldwork, the team will build the largest and best-curated collection of Dipsocoromorpha in the world. Integrative taxonomic revisions will reveal the true diversity of selected groups. The phylogeny of this group of insects will be investigated using morphological and molecular approaches, resulting in a new taxonomic classification. Litter bugs feature remarkable differences among the sexes, including hardened forewings (a trait that is rare outside the beetles), and stunningly complex terminalia. The phylogenetic foundations created during this project will lead to a greater understanding of the evolution of these unique features. Biodiversity information for these insects will become available through publications and cybertaxonomic tools, most importantly an online "Virtual Collection of Dipsocoromorpha". Two graduate students and several undergraduate students will be trained in modern systematic methods and knowledge transfer and collaborations fostered among the community of insect researchers.

博物馆在其未分类的架子上收藏了来自世界各地的样品，其中蕴藏着未开发的生物多样性财富。来自加州大学河滨分校的研究人员将与国际合作者团队一起研究“Litter Bugs”（真正的昆虫下目 Dipsocoromorpha）的生物多样性。这些昆虫体型微小，栖息在隐秘的微生境中，在热带地区表现出最高的物种多样性。利用博物馆中已有的诱捕样本，结合一些额外的实地工作，该团队将建立世界上最大、精心策划的 Dipsocoromorpha 收藏。综合分类学修订将揭示所选群体的真正多样性。将使用形态学和分子方法研究这组昆虫的系统发育，从而产生新的分类学分类。垃圾虫在性别之间具有显着差异，包括硬化的前翅（这种特征在甲虫之外很少见）和极其复杂的终端。该项目期间创建的系统发育基础将有助于更好地理解这些独特特征的进化。这些昆虫的生物多样性信息将通过出版物和网络分类工具提供，最重要的是在线“Dipsocoromorpha 虚拟收藏”。两名研究生和几名本科生将接受现代系统方法以及昆虫研究人员群体之间促进的知识转移和合作方面的培训。