Society of Systematic Biologists

An NSF-funded graduate research assistantship is available (on short notice!) to study tenebrionid systematics in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. The application deadline is December 15, 2012, for entry into the Ph.D. program in Evolutionary Biology in the Fall of 2013. The research project will focus on the systematics of the darkling beetle genus Eleodes (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) – a diverse genus of flightless beetles endemic to western North America and commonly referred to as pinacate beetles or stink beetles.

The selected student will be mentored by Drs. Aaron Smith, Nico Franz, and Quentin Wheeler, and will concentrate on revising the Eleodes subgenera Promus and Tricheleodes using comparative morphological and molecular information. Additional tasks will include contributions to an emerging Coleoptera Anatomy Ontology, field work, and outreach. Academic excellence and a strong background in insect systematics are highly desirable.

Interested candidates should contact Nico Franz immediately at nico.franz@asu.edu with a brief statement of their interests and qualifications.