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Insect Systematics and Taxonomy Lab
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The lab explores insect diversity and evolution through insects that live with ants and through treehoppers.
AboutAbout the lab
Conveying the depth of species diversity through small insects.
The Insect Systematics and Taxonomy Lab studies the taxonomy and phylogenetic evolution of insects, focusing on insects that live with ants and termites, treehoppers, and other groups.
The core of its research is to convey the wonder, splendor, and depth of species diversity to society and the public through insects.
Centered on taxonomy, the lab combines methods and perspectives such as molecular phylogenetics and ethology, and conducts fieldwork mainly across Japan and Southeast Asia.
Associate Professor Munetoshi Maruyama's primary appointment is at the University Museum, and students conduct their research as members of the Laboratory of Entomology in the Faculty of Agriculture.
Key terms
- Myrmecophilous insects
- Insects that depend on the environment of an ant colony for part or all of their life history
- Molecular phylogenetics
- The study of the evolutionary pathways (phylogeny) of organisms using molecular information such as DNA
ResearchResearch themes
The research began with the taxonomy of pselaphine rove beetles and has since expanded. On the lab's website, five main topics are presented: insects living symbiotically with social insects, the ant genus Lasius, the subfamily Pselaphinae, Aenictus army ants, and treehoppers. The website notes that each of these still holds many interesting open questions and that students can also take up their own research themes.
Insects living symbiotically with ants and termites
Myrmecophilous and termitophilous insects, which depend on ant or termite colonies for their way of life, have evolved in a variety of taxonomic groups, but the full extent of their species diversity is not yet known. The lab clarifies species diversity through taxonomic studies and considers their evolution through molecular phylogenetic studies.
Phylogeny and taxonomy of Pselaphinae
Among beetles, the subfamily Pselaphinae is one of the groups in which clarifying diversity has lagged furthest behind. The lab studies its phylogeny and classification at higher levels such as tribes. It is also advancing the taxonomy of rove beetles that live in the intertidal zone of Japan.
Taxonomy and phylogenetic evolution of treehoppers
The lab carries out taxonomic research on the understudied treehopper subfamily Centrotinae in Southeast Asia. To learn how egg-guarding behavior evolved, it also uses DNA to investigate the phylogenetic relationships across the entire subfamily Centrotinae.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Insect Systematics and Taxonomy Lab consist of faculty, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students who are working professionals.As of 2025
- Associate ProfessorMunetoshi Maruyama
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Related lab (Entomology Lab): “Collection drawer - Bohart Museum of Entomology - University of California, Davis - DSC03332” Daderot / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Aquaculture Biology Lab): “Marine algae in Gullmarsfjorden at Sämstad 4” W.carter / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Zoology Lab): “IVF laboratory” Galina Fomina / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Aquatic Molecular Developmental Biology Lab): “Oryzias latipes(Hamamatsu,Shizuoka,Japan,2007)-2” Seotaro / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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