Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
The genus Cricotopus is one of most diverse genera of the non-biting midge subfamily Orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) and is distributed almost globally. Whilst a well-supported morphological framework exists for delimiting northern hemisphere Cricotopus species, very little is known of the relationships among the diverse austral taxa. Currently, twelve species have been described from a wide variety of habitat types across Australia, from highly impacted coastal streams to pristine upland streams. The genus is widely included in biomonitoring surveys of water quality, in which the presence of larval Cricotopus in water bodies is often taken to be an indicator of impact. This generalisation is largely due to our poor understanding of larval morphology among some Australian Cricotopus species, which makes accurate identification at the species level difficult. To address this issue, this project aims to use mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data to resolve the genetic relationships among the Australian species. Field collections in near pristine streams in southeast Queensland will be required and previous collections from other Australian locations will also be utilised. The results of this study will provide a baseline for searching for diagnostic larval morphological characters that will aid biomonitoring programs and will provide important information about the evolution of this diverse group on the Australian continent.
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT External Peter Cranston (Australian National University)
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
-
Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Andrew Baker
