Cladistic analysis of the click beetle tribe Agrypnini is proposed as the basis for analysis of phylogentic and biogeographic patterns. The proposed research has the following goals: (1) performing a detailed comparative study of the external, genitalic, and internal reproductive morphology of representatives of all agrypnine genera; (2) performing cladistic analysis to establish a hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships of agrypnine genera; and (3) using the phylogenetic hypothesis of agrypnine generic relationships as the basis for: (a) taxonomic classification of the tribe; and (b) analysis of area relationships in this tribe. The Agrypnini is distributed worldwide, with several large widespread genera and a number of smaller genera endemic to one region. The biogeographical analysis will compare results from biogeographical parsimony analysis, component analysis, and quantification of component analysis. Funds are requested for travel to major European entomological museum for examination of material for morphological studies and cladistic analysis, and for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM will be used to examine, interpret, and illustrate micromorphological characters, especially the mouthparts and ultrastructure of setal scales. The proposed research will provide additional character systems for comparison with other elaterid taxa, will provide biogeographical patterns for comparison with unrelated taxa, and will compare efficacy of biogeographical analysis methodologies.
