Date of Completion
5-5-2017
Embargo Period
5-3-2017
Keywords
entomology, Acronictinae, Acronicta, evolution, phylogenetics, diet breadth, morphology, behavior
Major Advisor
David Wagner
Associate Advisor
Elizabeth Jockusch
Associate Advisor
Chris Simon
Associate Advisor
Michael Singer
Field of Study
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Open Access
Open Access
Abstract
Moths and caterpillars of the noctuid genus Acronicta Oschenheimer, 1816, widely known as dagger moths, have captured the imagination of taxonomists for centuries. Morphologically enigmatic adults and highly variable larvae prompted A. R. Grote to proclaim, "There would seem to be no genus which offers a more interesting field to the biologist for exploration," (1895). Without known synapomorphies for Acronicta, or the subfamily Acronictinae, their circumscriptions have changed over time. This dissertation delves into the taxonomic history of these taxa, setting the stage for a worldwide phylogenetic analysis of Acronictinae. The diversity of larval forms is considered in a tri-trophic framework, quantifying bottom up (host plant) and top down (predator) effects through measures of diet breadth, morphology, and behavior, all in a phylogenetic context. Adult courtship structures, present in some acronictine species, are scored across the family Noctuidae, to aid in the study of the evolution of complex morphological traits.
Recommended Citation
Zacharczenko, Brigette, "Resolving the Systematics of Acronictinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), the Evolution of Larval Defenses, and Tracking the Gain/Loss of Complex Courtship Structures in Noctuidae" (2017). Doctoral Dissertations. 1482.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/1482