HOLISTIC INSECT SYSTEMATICS

• Sponsoring Institution: State Agricultural Experiment Station
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: STATE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0206779
• Project Start Date: Apr 1, 2006
• Project End Date: Mar 31, 2011
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824

Performing Department
ENTOMOLOGY

Non Technical Summary
Bark beetles (Scolytinae) and other insects are pests of Michigan and world-wide forests. Knowledge of their biodiversity and means to identify species are limited. This research program investigates insect biodiversity, focusing on bark beetles, on a world-wide scale. Examination of morphological, molecular and biological variation of the species and their relatives will increase our ability to identify and understand potential pest species.

Animal Health Component

25%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

75%

Applied

25%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
123	3110	1060	15%
136	3110	1060	15%
211	3110	1060	70%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
3110 - Insects;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

insect

pests

scolytidae

curculionidae

biodiversity

systematics

molecular

genetics

populations

taxonomy

morphology

Goals / Objectives
In general, the goal of my research program is to uncover systematically informative morphological and molecular characters. Once found, new methodologies for the analysis, description, and interpretation of these data will be explored. Phylogenies resulting from these studies will be used to revise classifications and test evolutionary hypotheses. These objectives will be applied to any insect group dependent on student interest. My research interest will focus on bark beetle and water strider systematics with the following immediate goals. 1. Reconstruct Holarctic Ipina bark beetle phylogeny using morphological and molecular characters. This includes generic revisions of Orthotomicus, Pityogenes, Pityokteines. 2. Determine the utility of single copy nuclear genes for phylogenetic reconstruction of insect species. 3. Examine evolutionary trends of Ips genome size and assess the association of these trends with life histories. 4. Determine the species limits of pine cone beetles using molecular characters. 5. Preserve and modernize bark beetle taxonomy through the study of Xyleborina systematics. 6. Phylogenetics of tropical waterstriders.

Project Methods
During past 10 years I have accumulated many bark beetle and water strider specimens. Most of these have been preserved for molecular analysis either in ethanol or frozen. DNA is readily recovered from specimens killed and preserved in high percentage ethanol. Others are pinned specimens, which have been preserved between 3 to 25 years. These specimens yield DNA competant for PCR amplification and sequencing. World-wide specimen acquisition will continue through collaborations, fieldwork, and museum loans. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy will be used to visualize external and internal anatomy. Phylogenetic studies will begin with previously published taxonomic characters and follow with an exploration for new characters. Nomenclature and description of bark beetle and water strider anatomy will allow for the assessment of provisional homologies among taxa. Both qualitative and quantitative characters will be studied. We will explicitly define and illustrate morphological characters and character states, which will minimize subjectivity and increase repeatability with the addition of future taxa. In the past 15 years, methods for DNA extraction, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing have become standardized and easily performed especially with the use of commercial kits (e.g., Qiagen). Specific PCR primer design coupled with optimization of annealing temperatures allows for reproduction of target sequence from a wide selection of taxa and specimens preserved by various methods. The methods of Cognato and Sperling (2000) will be followed to generate DNA sequence data. DNA extraction will not completely destroy the specimens and the remaining body parts (those important for identification) will be pinned and vouchered at MSU (or other institutes depending on loan agreements). Aliquots of aqueous DNA from each sample will be stored at -80oC at MSU. PCR products and subsequent DNA sequence will be produced from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. All sequences will be submitted to GenBank, which will make them globally accessible. All available data will be used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Similarity and relative positions of characters will assess provisional morphological homology. Provisional homology for molecular data is determined by PCR amplification of a specific gene region. Initial homology assessment of nucleotides can be difficult for gene regions that exhibit length variation. Thus computer algorithms, including phenetic and optimization methods, are used to simultaneously align multiple DNA sequences. The merits of several phenetic alignment programs have been addressed, and several programs produce similar results. Where applicable the DNA data generated for all objectives will be aligned with several programs and alignment variables. All alignments will be used in separate subsequent phylogenetic analysis. Parsimony will be the optimality criterion for all phylogenetic analyses. Both separate and combined analyses of the data will be conducted. Other optimality criteria (i.e. maximum likelihood) will be used to compensate evolutionary biases in nucleotide data.

Progress 04/01/06 to 03/31/11

Outputs
Since joining the Department of Entomology at MSU, Cognatos research program has become reestablished and is thriving. Cognato submitted two grant proposals to NSF and one was declined. The decision to fund the other which pertains to the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection (ARC) is still pending. Two grants from the USDA- Forest Service were obtained to survey for potential exotic insects in Michigan. Laboratory renovations have been completed and Cognato and his students are producing data. Nine manuscripts dealing insect systematics, population genetics and ecology have been published and several more are in preparation. Cognato and students presented these finding several national societal meetings, such as, Entomological Society of America. Cognato and students traveled to several states and countries to conducted research and included for example, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Washington D.C., and Guyana. In addition, Cognato, as Director of ARC, has set new priorities for the ARC which are the preservation of the specimens and modernization of web resources; quantified the level of curation for the 1.2 million pinned specimens; established a web accessible database for the ARC holdings; entered ~ 13000 Coleoptera and Orthroptera species names into the data base; and attended at the annual meeting of the Entomological Collections Network. Also a new partnership between the ARC and the University of Guyana was established to study tropical insect biodiversity.

Impacts
The establishment of a strong systematics research program in the Department of Entomology at MSU, enhances the University's ability to compete for funding and educate students in research that concerns biodiversity. Systematic studies elucidate the complexities of biodiversity among pest species. National and international natural resources are better improved and protected once the number, relationships and biologies of pests are known. Basic knowledge of biological processes gained from these studies will add to the increased understanding of life at molecular, microscopic, organismal and ecological levels. Specifically, my research program improves knowledge of biodiversity at local, national and international levels. For example, our Michigan surveys for potential exotic insects provided new information on the distribution of bark beetles and a lead to the discovery of a new potential invasive wasp (Sirex noctilio). In addition, my research program will educate graduate and undergraduate students through direct participation in research and educate the general public through local outreach initiatives. For example in August 2007, my research group participated in the GM Lansing Delta Township plant Bioblitz of GM's 75 acre preserve. This event was open to the public and my group educated people in the natural history of local insects.

Publications

• Menard, K.L. and A. I. Cognato. 2007. Mitochondrial haplotypic diversity of pine cone beetles (Scolytinae: Conophthorus) collected on food sources. Environmental Entomology 36: 962-966.
• Mynhardt, G., M.K. Harris, and A.I. Cognato. 2007. Population genetics of the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae Horn (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), inferred from mitochondrial nucleotide data. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 100: 582-590.
• Hulcr, J., Mogia, M., Isua, B. and Novotny, V. 2007. Host specificity of ambrosia and bark beetles (Col., Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) in a New Guinea rain forest. Ecological Entomology 32: 762-772.
• Novotny V, Miller S E, Hulcr J, Drew R A I, Basset Y, Janda M, Setliff G P, Darrow K,Stewart A J A, Auga J, Isua B, Molem K, Manumbor M, Tamtiai E, Mogia M & Weiblen G D (2007): Low beta diversity of herbivorous insects in tropical forests. Nature 448: 692-697.
• Hulcr J, Miller S E, Darrow K, Hebert P, Weiblen G D (2007) DNA barcoding confirms polyphagy in a generalist moth, Homona mermerodes (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 549-557.
• Cognato, A.I. and J.H. Sun. 2007. DNA based cladograms augment the discovery of a new Ips species from China (Coleoptera: Curculionidae:Scolytinae). Cladistics 23: 539-551.
• Dole, S.A. and A.I. Cognato. 2007. A New Genus and Species of Bothrosternina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from Ecuador. Coleopterists Bulletin 61: 318-325.
• Hulcr, J., S.A. Dole, R.A. Beaver, and A.I. Cognato. 2007. Cladisticreview of xyleborine generic taxonomic characters (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Systematic Entomology. 32: 568-584.
• Kathirithamby, J., J.J. Gillespie, E. Jimenez-Guri, A.I. Cognato and J.S. Johnston. 2007. High nucleotide divergence in a dimorphic parasite with disparate hosts. Zootaxa. 1636: 59-68.

Progress 06/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
The PI and 3 Ph.D. students joined the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University beginning June 1, 2006. Much of the first 6 months has been devoted to re-establishing Cognatos research program. Most important, two federally funded grants have been successfully transferred to MSU. These grants continue to support bark beetle systematic research. Although the laboratory renovations have not been completed to this date, Cognato and his students have concentrated on submitting manuscripts for publication and grant proposals. Four manuscripts dealing with bark beetle systematics were submitted and have been tentatively accepted. Coganto submitted two grant proposals to NSF, which were declined funding but one received a highly meritorious review. These proposals will be resubmitted in 2007. Cyberstructure of the research program was also established. A website http://www.hisl.ent.msu.edu has been created as a public portal to the research that is conducted by Cognato and his students. This information includes images of people and places, description of research activities, bibliographic and taxonomic databases and published raw data. New hires include Sarah Smith, a master student studying tropic bark beetle systematics, and Dr. Paul Tinerella, a post-doctoral researcher who is investigating means to improve systematic methodology.

Impacts
The establishment of a strong systematics research program in the Department of Entomology at MSU, enhances the University's ability to compete for funding and educate students in research that concerns biodiversity. Systematic studies elucidate the complexities of biodiversity among pest species. National and international natural resources are better improve and protected once the number, relationships and biologies of pests are know. Basic knowledge of biological processes gained from these studies will add to the increased understanding of life at molecular, microscopic, organismal and ecological levels. In addition, my research program will educate graduate and undergraduate students through direct participation in research.

Publications

• No publications reported this period