EVOLUTION OF MIRIDAE
Despite their economic importance and diversity as one of the 20 most species-rich families of insects, the few current phylogenetic hypotheses across the seven subfamilies of plant bugs only incorporate ~12% of described species. Studies attempting to resolve relationships among plant bugs have resulted in conflicting hypotheses, with few studies including DNA data. The lack of robust, comprehensive phylogenetic hypotheses has prevented our ability to utilize a wealth of biodiversity data for plant bugs to investigate hypotheses regarding the origins of different groups and the evolution of their diets. As a first step, our multi-institutional, collaborative team of researchers will use UCE data to estimate the first robust phylogeny across all subfamilies and infer a timeline for the evolution of plant bugs and the evolution of different types of diets across species. The resulting phylogenetic hypotheses will then be used to investigate the biogeographic history and host plant evolution of Nearctic plant bugs, as well as diversity and endemism of species in the California Floristic Province biodiversity hotspot.
Biogeographic history and host plant evolution of Nearctic Miridae
Plant bugs are an excellent group for investigating biogeographic history, particularly for Nearctic species. Most species have small, endemic ranges. Furthermore, some plant feeding species feed on a single host plant species while other plant bugs' dietary repertories include many plant species. Many genera of plant bugs includes species in both Nearactic and Palearctic or Nearctic and Neotropical regions, making them a great system to better understand the origins and diversification of insects in North America. These attributes of plant bugs will allow us to test hypotheses on host plant driven diversification and the biogeographic history of the family in the Nearctic.
(Image taken from Weirauch et al. 2017. Areas of endemism in the Nearctic: a case study of 1339 species of Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera) and their plant hosts. Cladistics, 33: 279–294)
Plant bugs are an excellent group for investigating biogeographic history, particularly for Nearctic species. Most species have small, endemic ranges. Furthermore, some plant feeding species feed on a single host plant species while other plant bugs' dietary repertories include many plant species. Many genera of plant bugs includes species in both Nearactic and Palearctic or Nearctic and Neotropical regions, making them a great system to better understand the origins and diversification of insects in North America. These attributes of plant bugs will allow us to test hypotheses on host plant driven diversification and the biogeographic history of the family in the Nearctic.
(Image taken from Weirauch et al. 2017. Areas of endemism in the Nearctic: a case study of 1339 species of Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera) and their plant hosts. Cladistics, 33: 279–294)
Spatial phylogenomics of the plant bugs of the California Floristic Province
Determining centers of endemism is a critical part of multi-species approaches to prioritizing conservation efforts, but it has so far been largely based on plants and vertebrates. This is especially true in the California Floristic Province biodiversity hotspot, one of two biodiversity hotspots that resides almost entirely within the continental United States. Insects in this diverse region remain vastly under-sampled. Plant bugs within the California Floristic Province offer a unique opportunity to test hypotheses on phylogenetic endemism and diversity, which can be compared to evolutionary patterns observed in plants and vertebrates.
(Image © 2023 Terra Peninsular)
Determining centers of endemism is a critical part of multi-species approaches to prioritizing conservation efforts, but it has so far been largely based on plants and vertebrates. This is especially true in the California Floristic Province biodiversity hotspot, one of two biodiversity hotspots that resides almost entirely within the continental United States. Insects in this diverse region remain vastly under-sampled. Plant bugs within the California Floristic Province offer a unique opportunity to test hypotheses on phylogenetic endemism and diversity, which can be compared to evolutionary patterns observed in plants and vertebrates.
(Image © 2023 Terra Peninsular)