Species numbers vary enormously among major lineages of organisms. This fact is nowhere more apparent than in the large number of species in just one order of insects, the Coleoptera (beetles), which comprise one third of all described animal species. Within the Coleoptera species diversity is also distributed unevenly, with some genera of beetles comprising over a thousand species. Our main research interest is the question of what causes some lineages of organisms to radiate but not others. We are using (molecular) phylogenetic approaches, morphometric analysis, and computer simulations to investigate this problem in several groups of beetles.
As a basis for evolutionary analyses in the Coleoptra and to analyze the major trends in their evolution, we attempt to elucidate the relationships between families of beetles A molecular phylogeny of all major groups is currently being generated based on 18S ribosomal RNA. A second project focuses on one particular species-rich lineage, the tiger beetle genus Cicindela (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), analysing the radiation of these beetles using molecular phylogenetic, ecological, and biogeographical information. This work centres on reconstruction of the phylogeny of Cicinidela species from around the world, including North and Central America, Europe, India, Japan and Australia, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data. With this information we investigate a range of issues including the relative roles of geography, habitat specialisation, and life cycle (phenology) in the diversification of Cicindela ; patterns of molecular evolution among Cicindela species; and the evolution of defensive strategies, flightlessness and a range of other aspects of tiger beetle biology.
We also study the evolution of morphological diversity of beetles, investigating the question of why beetles are designed the way they are, and how design affects functional and ecological diversity, and ultimately species numbers. These studies are performed on water beetles (Dytiscidae), where we test the evolution of morphological adaptations to swimming in different types of water bodies; in weevils (Curculionoidea), investigating the evolution of differences in the rostrum and their effect on feeding style and oviposition; and dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) investigating the ecological and morphological diversification resulting from strong competition in a tight community of beetles. It is our long-term aim to also understand the morphological diversification of the Coleoptera in terms of the underlying developmental processes. At this point we have chosen a simpler model system, the variation of color patterns in butterfly wing patterns, using the highly polymorphic African Mocker Swallowtail Papilio dardanus to investigate the question of how morphological change is generated during development.
Finally we are interested in diversification at the species boundary. Our main study organisms are tiger beetles, in particular the North American Cicindela dorsalis, and other endangered species used as model organisms in conservation genetics, and Japanese ground beetles in the genus Ohomopterus.
Members of the group and addresses
Range maps for North American tiger beetles (Cicindelidae)
(published in the journal Cicindela 29 (3-4): 33-84)
DNA sequence data for North American Cicindela
(published in Evolution 52 (2): 529-538)
List of publications- Alfried Vogler