The research focus of our lab is the systematics of the beetle superfamily Cucujoidea, a large and diverse group of 34 families and more than 19,000 described species. The field of systematics comprises two principal activities, taxonomy and phylogenetics, which provide the language (scientific names) and the historical framework (evolutionary hypotheses) forming the foundation of the biological sciences. Although some cucujoids are colorful and conspicuous, most are small, drably colored, nondescript beetles that live cryptic lifestyles in leaf litter, fungi, or dead wood. These humble attributes surely have contributed to the chronically poor taxonomic condition of the superfamily.
