Systematics and biogeography of Australian Cicadettini and their relatives worldwide

University Of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this project is to conduct a thorough study of the pattern of spread of the cicadas, deducing how it has formed new species and colonized new areas over time. This colonization will be understood using DNA data to build evolutionary-trees and assign dates to branching events (past speciation). Results will be viewed against the backdrop of past climate change. Cicadas are excellent models for this type of study because they occur worldwide, their courtship songs make them easy to collect and identify, and their sedentary life histories generally result in clear boundaries between species. This research will aid in the establishment of a better taxonomy of cicada species and help catalog and understand the earth?s rapidly disappearing biodiversity. Because this project involves researchers in the US, China, Australia, New Zealand, Slovenia, France, the Netherlands, and South Africa, it will promote the international exchange of ideas and technology as well as specimens. This research will address a broad range of important questions, such as how climate change affects speciation and the application of information on mechanisms of molecular change over time to molecular tree-building. Species new to science will certainly be discovered. This research will contribute to the training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers including under-represented groups. The results of this research will be made available through our website and will include an electronic field guide with distributions of collected cicada species and photographs and songs of many species. The website will also provide an updated list of world cicada workers, status of world cicada taxonomy research, links to other cicada sites, three large web-searchable databases (Magicicada, NZ cicadas and World Cicadas), lists of locations of types, maps, phylogenetic trees, locality guides, and more.