DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of the weevils and development of the weevil rostrum (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

Dissertation Research: Evolution of the Weevils and Development of the Weevil Rostrum (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) The project focuses on elucidating the development of the weevil head capsule, in particular the elongate snout, a structure that is implicated in their considerable evolutionary success. Key weevil species critical in agriculture, forestry, and/or horticulture will be investigated for the formation of the snout, used in producing holes for feeding or egg deposition in plant tissues. This project will resolve those genetic elements responsible for snout formation and alterations in its overall structure, as well as the timing of episodes of diversification. It will also provide the first comprehensive consideration of weevil evolution and those factors driving their success. Weevils rank among the most diverse of all organisms, with around 60,000 species. They are of extreme economic importance owing to their impact on natural and agricultural ecosystems, damaging all major groups of plants and representing one of the most serious lineages of arthropod pests. Resolution of those factors that have led to the remarkable diversity of weevils will permit a refined understanding of their specialization on different plant families and tissues. Insight into those genetic factors which have fueled their diversification and evolutionary success will develop new avenues for research in biological control as well as fundamentals of weevil biology.