Topic: Phylogenomics of brood-pollinating weevils in the tropics
Dates: 1 October 2026 – 30 September 2029
CBGP supervisors: R. Allio & J. Haran

Pablo Regalado is undertaking his PhD at the CBGP and will be investigating the factors underlying the emergence of brood-pollination systems in the tropics. Recent research has highlighted the importance of a tribe of weevils (Derelomini) in the pollination of several botanical families in the Neotropics. This tribe, due to its extreme diversity and its associations with a wide range of hosts, represents an emerging model for exploring the evolution of these mutualistic interactions.

Pablo will set about characterising this tribe and studying its evolutionary history (the emergence of brood pollination, changes in host plants, diversification dynamics, etc.).