1st Place: The biology and phylogeny of Brachininae: A new hope

Monday, November 14, 2022

9:12 AM – 9:24 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 110

Presenting Author(s)

Raine M. Ikagawa

PhD Student
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Co-Author(s)

WM

Wendy Moore

University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Bombardier beetles of the carabid subfamily Brachininae possess one of the most well-known

insect defense mechanisms; they are able to produce an exothermic reaction inside their bodies and explode a 100°C cloud of quinones directly at enemies. Although there has been continued scientific interest in their defense mechanism, particularly of the genus Brachinus, and new species descriptions continue to be published, the group is lacking in studies of their evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships. This work will present preliminary data on the phylogeny of genera within the Brachininae, using molecular and morphological datasets. Building on this data, and previous work on the Brachininae, I will discuss the implications of continued phylogenetic work for elucidating the evolution of life history traits and the brachinine defense mechanism. Brachinines play important roles in arthropod communities around the globe as abundant scavengers and specialized predators and ectoparasitoids; they have also been implicated as useful bioindicators of ecosystem health and could have potential roles in biological pest control. Continued systematic and phylogenetic research is fundamental for answering critical biological questions, and understanding the biodiversity and evolution of these fascinating insects.