Individual Listing

Entomology
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521

Weirauch, Christiane

Associate Professor of Entomology

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Entomology


Biography

Our research focuses on systematics and evolution of Heteroptera or True Bugs. Heteroptera comprise about 40,000 species in 85 families and are one of the largest groups of non-holometabolous insects. True Bugs are found in terrestrial, aquatic, and even marine habitats and their feeding preferences cover the entire range from phytophagous, to zoophagous, and hematophagous, involving monophagy, mixed feeding, and parasitism. The majority of Heteroptera is plant feeding and species in many families are serious crop pests, but there are also beneficial Heteroptera that are used as biocontrol agents in integrated pest management. One aspect of our research focuses on Reduviidae or assassin bugs. With more than 6500 described species Reduviidae are the second largest and one of the morphologically and ecologically most diverse groups of Heteroptera. Mainly predators of other insects and arthropods, species of Triatominae or kissing bugs are blood feeding and transmit Chagas Disease in South and Middle America. Predation techniques comprise cleptoparasitism in spider webs, camouflage with corpses of dead prey, and sticky trap methods, some species attract and paralyze ants with gland secretions. Reduviidae therefore range among the most inventive predators alive! Our second group of interest are Miridae or plant bugs. With about 10,000 species worldwide Miridae are the largest family of Heteroptera, but many new species remain to be described. Often plant feeding and host specific, Miridae are currently established as a model to study the evolution of insect host-plant relationships. Another striking aspect are the myrmecomorphic features of Miridae although the nature of their association with ants are still not well understood. Our studies comprise all systematic levels from species-level analyses to higher-level relationships and integrate morphological and molecular character information. We use these hypotheses to gain insights into the evolution of behaviors, such as prey specialization in Reduviidae and choice of host plant in Miridae. In addition, we are exploring comparative and functional morphology of various glands across Heteroptera and work on the functional morphology of mating in this group of insects.

Degrees

PhD Biology 2003

Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

MSc Biology 1998

Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen, Germany

Awards

2003-2006 - American Museum of Natural History Postdoctoral Researcher


Research Area

Morphological and molecular systematics of Heteroptera with an emphasis on assassin bugs (Reduviidae) and plant bugs (Miridae); Evolutionary biology; Biological control

Publications

Schuh, R. T., Weirauch, C. and Wheeler, W. C. 2009. Cimicomorphan relationships (Insecta: Heteroptera): combining morphological and DNA sequence data (Insecta: Heteroptera). Systematic Entomology 34: 15-34.

Schuh, R. T., Weirauch, C., Henry, T. J., and Halbert, S. 2008. Curaliidae, a new family of Heteroptera from the Eastern United States (Insecta). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101: 20-29.

Weirauch, C. 2008a. Cladistic analysis of Reduviidae (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha) based on morphological characters. Systematic Entomology 33: 229-274.

Weirauch, C. 2008b. Mangabea barbiger, new species of Collartidini (Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Emesinae) from Madagascar. In: S. Grozeva & N. Simov (eds.) 2008. Advances in Heteroptera Research. Pensoft Publishers.

Weirauch, C. 2008c. From four to three segmented labium in Reduviidae (Heteroptera, Insecta). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48: 331-344.

Cassis, G. and Weirauch, C. 2008. A new species and first record of Dilatops Weirauch (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from New Caledonia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 52: 119-122.

Weirauch, C. and Forero, D. 2007. Kiskeya palassaina, new genus and new species of Saicinae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from the Dominican Republic. Zootaxa 1468: 57-68.

Weirauch, C. 2007a. Hairy attachment structures in Reduviidae (Cimicomorpha, Heteroptera), with observations on the fossula spongiosa in some other Cimicomorpha. Zoologischer Anzeiger 246: 155-175.

Weirauch, C. 2007b. Polyozus Eyles & Schuh and allied genera: revision and cladistic analysis of the Polyozus-group of Australian Phylini (Heteroptera: Phylinae). American Museum Novitates 3590: 60pp.

Weirauch, C. and Cassis, G. 2006. Attracting ants: The trichome in Ptilocnemus lemur (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Holoptilinae) and novel glandular areas on the sternum. [in press] Journal of the New York Entomological Society 114: 28-37. 70% contribution.

Weirauch, C. 2006a. Metathoracic glands and associated evaporatory structures in Reduvioidea (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha), with observation on the mode of function of the metacoxal comb. Eur. J. Entomol. 103: 97–108.

Weirauch, C. 2006b. New genus and species of Physoderinae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from the New World, with a revised diagnosis of Physoderinae Miller. Am. Mus. Novit. 3510: 9 pp.

Weirauch, C. 2006c. Dorsal abdominal glands in adult Reduviidae (Cimicomorpha, Heteroptera). Mitt. Mus. Nat.kd. Berl., Dtsch. Entomol. Z 53: 91-102.

Weirauch, C. 2006d. New genera and species of oak-associated Phylini (Heteroptera, Miridae, Phylinae) from western North America. American Museum novitates 3522: 54 pp.

Weirauch, C. 2006e. New genera, new species, and new combinations in western Nearctic Phylini (Heteroptera, Miridae, Phylinae). American Museum novitates 3521: 41 pp.

Weirauch, C. 2006f. Observations on the sticky trap predator Zelus luridus Stål (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae), with the description of a novel gland associated with the female genitalia. Denisia, 50: 1169-1180.

Weirauch, C. 2006g. New genus and species of fig-inhabiting Leucophoropterini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from Australia. Russian Entomological Journal 15(2): 119-124.

Weirauch, C. 2006h. Anatomy of disguise: Camouflaging structures in nymphs of some Reduviidae (Heteroptera). American Museum novitates 3542: 18pp.

Forero, D. & Weirauch, C. 2005. Synonymy of Harpinoderes cicheroi Martínez & Carcavallo, 1989 with Aradomorpha crassipes Champion, 1899 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Zootaxa 950: 1-4.

Weirauch, C. 2005a. Pretarsal structures in Reduviidae (Heteroptera, Insecta). Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 86: 91–110.

Weirauch, C. 2005b. The Heteropteran “Pronotal Gland” Re-examined. J. N. Y. Ent. Soc. 113: 1–10.

Weirauch, C. 2004. Distribution of a sternal glandular area among female Reduviidae (Heteroptera), with discussion of a possible pheromonal function. Mitt. Mus. Nat.kd. Berl., Dtsch. Entomol. Z. 51: 3-6.

Forero, D., Weirauch, C. & Baena, M. 2004. Synonymy of the reduviid (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) genus Torrealbaia (Triatominae) with Amphibolus (Harpactorinae), with notes on Amphibolus venator (Klug, 1830). Zootaxa 670: 1-12.

Weirauch, C. 2003a. Glandular areas associated with the male genitalia in Triatoma rubrofasciata (Triatominae, Reduviidae, Hemiptera) and other Reduviidae. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 98: 773-776.

Weirauch, C. 2003b. Pedicellar structures in Reduviidae - a comment on cave organ and trichobothria. Eur. J. Entomol. 100: 571-580.