Principal investigator Quentin Wheeler proposes a continuation of his research into the evolution of a group of beetles that feed predominantly on slime molds. His previous studies have analyzed the evolutionary relationships of the beetles, as well as the patterns of associations with fungal species. The proposed project would complete his systematic description and classification of the North American representatives of the genus Agathidium, and would contribute to the large database Wheeler has constructed for fungal-insect interactions. The proposed research has implications beyond the limits of beetle taxonomy. Wheeler's research will establish whether or not closely related beetles tend to specialize on the same fungal species, and how the characteristics of each beetle group provide for utilization of its particular food resource. Wheeler will also be investigating new ways to use the early larval characteristics of the beetles to reconstruct their evolutionary relationships.
