A grant has been awarded to Dr. Paul Z. Goldstein of the Field Museum of Natural History to study the relationships among species in the Apameini, a tribe of North American and European noctuids or owlet moths, and the evolution of their associations with different plants. Using DNA sequence data this project aims to resolve relationships among apameine species and test ideas surrounding the evolution of host plant associations and caterpillar behaviors in the tribe. A particular focus is on the unique habit of internal feeding (endophagy) that characterizes the so-called borers, and the extent to which this and related behaviors may mediate the breadth of host plants attacked by apameine caterpillars.
With over 45,000 described species and untold numbers of undiscovered forms, noctuid moths make up the most diverse family among all the butterflies and moths, and nearly a third of the order Lepidoptera. Noctuids are important components of terrestrial ecosystems: They include primary prey items for birds, bats, and other vertebrates; economically important agricultural pests; and important objects of scientific exploration. Noctuid caterpillars have also evolved to feed upon a tremendous variety of plants and fungi, and have evolved a variety of novel behaviors that enabled them to specialize on different hosts. Unfortunately, relationships among the major groups of noctuids are poorly known, and it is not yet possible to explore the evolution of feeding behaviors, including the behavior of pest species. The group of moths that makes up the focus of this project appears to be a lynchpin for understanding the relationships among major noctuid groups. Because they are related to a variety of important agricultural pests, understanding the origins of feeding modes in this group bears on our understanding of how pests and outbreak species arise. Moreover, their associations with numerous grasses makes them relevant to our understanding of grass-dominated ecosystems.
