Phylogeny and classification of whirligig beetles (family: Gyrinidae)
Around a thousand species are known of whirligig beetles and they are distributed worldwide, but most diverse in the tropics. They are conspicuous components of ponds lakes and rivers where they swim around on the surface of the water, often in aggregates. Their morphology is extremely adapted to a life on the water surface with two pairs of eyes (one dorsal pair for seeing above water and one ventral pair for seeing below) and paddle-like middle and hind legs for rapid swimming. They are carnivorous eating what has been trapped on the water surface. The larvae are also predatory and live submerged in the water.Gyrinidae is presently classified in two subfamilies (Gyrininae and Spanglerogyrinae), four tribes (Enhydrini, Gyrinini, Orechtochilini and Heterogyrini) and 13 genera. However few of the clades have ever been tested for monophyly and the deeper level relationships has previously only been estimated with morphological characters.
This project, which is a collaboration with Kelly B. Miller at University of New Mexico will result in a phylogenetic hypothesis and improved classification of the family based on multiple genes and morphology. Our taxon sampling includes all presently recognized subfamilies, tribes and genera worldwide and we are in the process of analyses and writing. The genes we use are COI, COII, 12S, Histone 3 and EF1alpha.
Read more about Kelly Miller lab
Project leader:
Johannes Bergsten
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