JOE MCHUGH

A remarkable aspect of Earth’s biodiversity is that a quarter of all known species are beetles. Although about 400,000 beetle species have been discovered and described, estimates of the actual number range from 1.5 to more than 10 million. Clearly, most of beetle diversity remains unknown to science. The research in our lab falls under the broad heading of Coleoptera systematics, and includes the discovery, identification, description, inventory, phylogenetic study, and classification of beetles, especially poorly known taxa. We also contribute fundamental biological information through morphological and ecological studies.