1st Place: Phylogeny of Appalachian Trechus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a speciose high elevation endemic

Elevational gradients provide a wealth of habitat for a wide variety of organisms. The Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States are known for their high biodiversity and rates of endemism in arthropods, including leaf litter taxa. In highly variable environments like this, organisms that can be collected in large numbers serve as ideal models for assessing community biodiversity and directing conservation efforts. Trechus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a genus with a near global distribution and over 50 Appalachian species, which are easily sampled and consist of mostly high elevation endemics, some restricted to a single mountaintop. Two groups inhabit this area, Trechus sensu stricto and Microtrechus, largely separated by the French Broad River (Asheville, NC). To understand how Trechus evolved both within and between these two subgenera across Appalachian sky islands, morphological and genetic analyses were conducted on both endemic and widespread species throughout the range. Phylogenetic separation of Trechus and Trechus (Microtrechus) was maintained and the monophyly of most species groups reinforced. Genetic information has revealed interesting relationships between and within these species groups, where geography plays a crucial role in partitioning genetic variability.