The role of Earth's climate, host-plant associations and adaptations to chemical defense compounds in the species diversification of the weevil subfamily Ceutorhynchiae (Curculionidae, Coleoptera) - a combined phylogenomic and experimental approach

Ceutorhynch weevils are of special interest, as the host associations of many representatives constitute a considerable impact on agriculture and horticulture. Weevils feeding on Brassicaceae belong to the type genus Ceutorhynchus, which is by far the largest genus of Ceutorhynchinae and represents about one quarter of all species in this subfamily. The project targets the following goals: (i) reconstruction of the relationships, the divergence times and the biogeographic history of Ceutorhynchinae; (ii) inference of abiotic (climate) and biotic (host associations) factors shaping the diversification of Ceutorhynchinae; and (iii) inference of the glucosinolate detoxification strategy of the most speciose genus Ceutorhynchus. To reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Ceutorhynchinae, molecular whole-genome data and multi-gene data is combined. The combination of comparative genomic and metabolomic analyses further allows to infer the biogeographic history and potentially differential diversification of Ceutorhynchus weevils, as well as to trace the emergence and molecular evolution of the glucosinolate detoxification strategy of Ceutorhynchus, which may be responsible for the extraordinary radiation of this genus.