Richard Selander proposes a taxonomic and phylogenetic study of a genus of South American blister beetles. The research plan includes study of sexual behavior, adult morphology and host- plant association, and rearing of larvae for study of immature stages. Ecological and life history traits will also be studied. A clearer picture will emerge not only of the systematic structure of the genus, but of the biological bases for species differences. The use of a number of data types makes this project unusually thorough and valuable. The proposed project will advance systematic studies of tropical diversity on several levels, ranging from pure alpha- level descriptions up to phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses. The research will involve collaboration with in-country specialists, and representative collections will be returned to South American museums to help build their biological research resources.
