The insect superfamily Cercopoidea (commonly called spittlebugs) is a group of plant-feeding insects found ubiquitously in most terrestrial ecosystems. Worldwide, spittlebugs inflict heavy economic damage on grass crops such as sugar cane, corn, rice, and improved pasture grasses, causing up to 70% reduction in agricultural yields in infested areas. Despite this importance, the evolutionary history of this insect group is virtually unknown. This project represents a large-scale investigation into the evolution of spittlebugs using both traditional comparative morphological methods and modern DNA sequencing technology. The results of this project will include a reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among the major lineages of spittlebugs, interpretations of observed patterns of worldwide spittlebug geographical distribution and hostplant affiliations, and improved, internet-accessible tools for spittlebug identification.
The understanding of spittlebug evolution generated by this research will be of particular importance to the control of several known crop pests, as well as for the control of future outbreaks of novel spittlebug pests. This work will provide a framework for integrating the considerable number of scientific studies that have been conducted on the biology and ecology of individual spittlebug species. The identification tools to be developed will be of considerable value to scientists studying these insects, as well as workers in agriculture environments affected by these insects. Additionally, the cutting-edge evolutionary analyses carried out through this research will serve as a model for similar studies on other plant and animal groups. This project will provide training for several students at virtually all academic levels, adding to the next generation of experts in systematic entomology.
