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Research

DIEGO de S. SOUZA

Entomologist, Ph.D.

current projectS

Evolution of the twig-girdler beetles (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Onciderini) and guide for the identification of pest species

Onciderini is one of the largest tribes of flat-faced longhorned beetles (Lamiinae) in the Americas, with 538 species and 85 described genera. The onciderines are usually referred to as twig-girdler beetles because the females of some species circumcise branches for oviposition, and several onciderine species have earned pest status for this destructive behavior, which may compromise tree development and crop productivity. This project aims to integrate several approaches from the evolutionary biology, including phylogenetics, historical biogeography and phylogeography, to answer: (1) why, and at which point in the evolutionary history of Onciderini, the branch ringing behavior arose; (2) which genera comprise the genuine twig-girdler beetles' clade; and (3) which of their features (morphological or molecular) have changed, or contributed, to the pest status of some species. 

 

In parallel, we are also generating a reference genome using PacBio long read technology for the twig beetle, Oncideres impluviata, a major pest of Acacia crops in Southern Brazil.

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This project is funded by the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation (FAPERJ, Brazil) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant (Dr. Felix Sperling, University of Alberta, Canada).

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Oncideres ulcerosa

Oncideres sp. Photo: Marcoandré Savaris

Molecular systematics and classification of the longhorned beetle subfamily Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Lamiinae is the most diverse subfamily of Cerambycidae, having more than 21,000 species distributed in all biogeographical regions. Most suprageneric divisions of Lamiinae were proposed during the 19th century and, until today, very few tribes had their taxonomic limits assessed by phylogenetic approaches. This project aims to use both morphological and molecular characters and phylogenetic approaches to reconstruct a tribal-level phylogeny of Lamiinae and investigate the processes involved in the diversification of the tribes. With this project, we expect to have a strong background to delimit the tribes and address a tribal classification for Lamiinae in which the taxa can be recognized as a reflection of their evolutionary history.

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This project is partially funded by the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation (FAPERJ).

Phylogeny of Acrocinini

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Related publications:

  • Souza, D.S., Marinoni, L., Monné, M.L., Gómez-Zurita, J. 2020. Molecular phylogenetic assessment of the tribal classification of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 145: 106736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106736

  • Souza, D. S., Sepúlveda, T.A., Marinoni, L., Monné, M. L. 2020. Phylogenetic analyses provide new insights into systematics of the longhorned beetle tribe Acrocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny, 78(1): 17-27. https://doi.org/10.26049/ASP78-1-2020-02

Diversity and taxonomy of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

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Cerambycidae, or longhorned beetles, is one of the richest families of beetles (Coleoptera), with about 38,000 described species. Although extremely numerous, this number of species of Cerambycidae is underestimated, and there are still many species not known to science, especially in the tropical regions of the planet. This project is particularly focused on alpha taxonomy of Cerambycidae, and aims to describe new species and address classification problems at species and genus levels using phylogenetic tools or based on detailed study of morphology, trying to make the systematics of the family more appropriate. 

Related publications:

Systematics and evolution of cactus flies (Diptera: Neriidae)

Neriidae is a small family of acalyptrate flies commonly found in all continents. With this project, we aim to propose a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis for the family. We are also reviewing the taxonomy of all valid species of Neriidae, updating the keys for identification and the known geographical distribution of its genera.

 

This project is led by Dr. Tatiana Sepúlveda. To find further information about this project, please visit our website www.neriidae.com.

Related publications:

  • Sepúlveda, T.A., Souza, D.S., Echeverry, A., Marinoni, L., de Carvalho, C.J.B. 2020. Revalidation and taxonomic revision of Teloneria Aczél (Diptera, Neriidae), with description of two new species. European Journal of Taxonomy, in press. 

  • Sepúlveda, T.A., Echeverry, A., Souza, D.S. 2020. New species of Chaetonerius Hendel (Diptera: Neriidae) and key for identification of the Neriidae of Tanzania. Zootaxa 4755: 190–194. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4755.1.12

  • Sepúlveda, T.A., Souza, D.S. 2019. A new species of Chaetonerius Hendel (Diptera: Neriidae) from Northeast Madagascar. Zootaxa 4656: 389–392. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4656.2.12

  • Sepúlveda, T.A., Souza, D.S., Gomes, L.R.P., Fogaça, J.M., de Carvalho, C.J.B. 2019. The Neriidae (Diptera) of Southeast Asia: A taxonomic revision of the genus Telostylus. European Journal of Entomology 116: 281–301. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2019.032

  • Sepúlveda, T.A., Souza, D.S. 2019. Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Eoneria-group (Diptera, Neriidae). Insect Systematics & Evolution 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-00002305​

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