This project is a collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska State Museum and several natural history museums in Chile and Argentina. A network of collaborators has been assembled to implement to execute an inventory and survey of all the scarab beetles occurring in southern South America. Specimens will be borrowed from collections and collected during field expeditions; then examined, identified, and described if they represent new species. It is estimated that 25% of the species of scarab beetles in the study region will be new to science. The data from all specimens will be gathered and made available electronically in database format with an identification guide to all the species found in the region. Taxonomic revisions and analyses of evolutionary relationships will be completed on many of the groups along with robust biogeographic analyses within southern South America and between this region and other continents in the southern hemisphere. Southern South America (including Patagonia and Central Chile) is biologically of particular interest due to its isolation and large number of unique groups of organisms. Additional, there is a strong urgency to studying the biodiversity of this region. Habitat destruction has been so severe that Central Chile has been labeled a global biodiversity hotspot in critical need of conservation by Conservation International and other authorities. In response to these needs, this collaborative project will investigate the biodiversity of scarab beetles in the region with an emphasis on collecting new material from poorly explored areas.

Scarab beetles are a diverse group, are ecologically significant, and common in most terrestrial habitats. Although most scarab beetles feed on plants, many other species feed on fungus, detritus, dung, carrion, or are predacious. Scarab beetles are some of the most significant foliage, flower, and root feeders in ecosystems. In spite of their diversity and importance, it is estimated that less than 65% of the living species have been described and documented worldwide. Results of this project will provide a means of addressing gaps in our knowledge of scarab evolutionary relationships because many taxa in this region are highly endemic and have been isolated for tens of millions of years. Placing these groups in the taxonomic context of scarabs worldwide will answer questions about the distributions of organisms and the dating of evolutionary events. The electronic guide to southern South American scarab beetles will allow this megadiverse group of organisms to be used for large scale ecology and conservation research in the region. Data from scarab specimens collected in Chile and Argentina, but housed outside these countries, will be electronically repatriated, and data from specimens in museums all over the world will be immediately accessible to scientists through the Internet. Other positive aspects of this research include the international partnership building and collaboration with institutions and scientists in Chile and Argentina. This will lead to more independent research initiatives within these countries. In-country infrastructure development and network building within Argentina and Chile will long outlast this project and lead to multi-institutional collaborations on other research endeavors

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0342189
Program Officer
Richard M. McCourt
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2004-05-01
Budget End
2008-04-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$300,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Lincoln
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68588