Research labs

Herbivore Beetle Evolution lab

The interests of the Herbivore Beetle Evolution Lab range from the systematics and community structure of leaf beetles to the study of geographic speciation and the spatial structure of genetic diversity within a temporal framework (phylogeography), as well as the investigation of biological processes such as hybridisation, unisexuality or insect-host plant associations from an evolutionary perspective. In recent years, the emphasis of its research has been on the study of biological interactions, including the study of herbivore beetle diets, the assemblage of their communities, and their symbiotic relationships with bacteria.

Principal investigator: Jesús Gómez-Zurita Frau

Members of the lab: Anabela Cardoso, Lab Manager; Nguyen Thi Dinh; Ana Isabel Sobreiro, PhD Student; Helena I. Vizán Rico, PhD student; Nefeli Zervou, ERASMUS+ Practical Training.

Oral presentations and talks given: 3

Main publications and other research activities:

Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Insights on the genus Acronymolpus Samuelson with new synonymies and exclusion of Stethotes Baly from the fauna of New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae). ZooKeys 720: 65-75.

Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Confirmation of the occurrence of Aphthonoides Jacoby (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) in continental Malaysia with description of a new species. Ent. Bl. Col. 113: 89-94.

Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Taxonomic notes on New Caledonian Dematochroma samuelsoni Jolivet, Verma et Mille and D. difficilis (Heller) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae). Folia ent. hung. 78 (in press).

Nguyen, D.T. & Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Diversity and trophic ecology of the Monoleptites group (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae, Luperini) in the Núi Chúa National Park (S Vietnam) with description of new species of Monolepta Chevrolat and Paleosepharia Laboissière. J. Asia-Pacific Ent. 20: 65-87.

De la Cadena, G., Papadopoulou, A., Maes, J.-M. & Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Evaluation of bias on the assessment of diet breadth of herbivorous insects using molecular methods. Insect Sci. 24: 194-209.

Vizán-Rico, H.I. & Gómez-Zurita, J. 2017. Testis-specific RNA-Seq of Calligrapha (Chrysomelidae) as a transcriptomic resource for male-biased gene inquiry in Coleoptera. Mol. Ecol. Res. 17: 533-545.

Main outreach activities:

Interview for dissemination of scientific activities at the Hungarian Museum of Natural History [August 28, 2017]

More information: Herbivore Beetle Evolution lab’s website