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Photo: UHH/CeNak, Husemann

Entomology

Phylogeny and evolution of the wasteland grasshoppers

One of the major projects of the Entomology Department is the study of the evolution of wasteland grasshoppers, mainly with phylogenetic and phylogeographic, but also with morphological and behavioural methods. Our results so far have shown that the evolution of this group is very complex and that various processes have led to its high species richness. Our analyses have shown, for example, that the differentiation of the Nearctic and Palaearctic genera can be traced back to a single colonisation across the Bering Strait. In both regions, convergence has resulted in a similar appearance. The speciation processes in the Palaearctic are in many cases due to glacial refugia. However, there are also many island endemics whose biogeographical history is marked by multiple colonisations and extinction events. In the genus Trimerotropis in North and South America, landscape changes have led to diversification processes. The acoustic and behavioural differentiation of many species contributes to the maintenance of species boundaries. In the future, we plan to deepen our studies at the genomic level.

                                                                                   Sphingonotus octofasciatus, Photo: UHH/CeNak, Husemann


Selected publications:

  • Husemann, M., Habel, J. C., Namkung, S.J., Hochkirch, A., Otte, D., Danley, P.D. (2015) Molecular evidence for an Old World origin of Galapagos and Caribbean grasshoppers (Acrididae: Oedipodinae: Sphingonotus). PloS One 10: e0118208.

  • Husemann, M., Deppermann, J., Hochkirch, A. (2014) Multiple independent colonization of the Canary Islands by the winged grasshopper genus Sphingonotus Fieber, 1852. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 81: 174-181.

  • Husemann, M., Llucia Pomares, D., Hochkirch, A. (2013) A review of the Iberian Sphingonotini with description of a new species (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 168: 29-60.

  • Husemann, M., Confalonieri, V., Guzman, N., Danley, P.D., Cigliano, M.M. (2012) Biogeography of Trimerotropis pallidipennis (Acrididae: Oedipodinae): deep divergence within the Americas. Journal of Biogeography 40: 261-273.

  • Husemann, M., Namkung, S.J., Habel, J.C., Hochkirch, A., Danley, P.D. (2012) Phylogenetic analyses of band-winged grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Oedipodinae) reveal convergence of wing morphology. Zoologica Scripta 41: 515-526.