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Vasily Grebennikov Email: v_grebennikovZmail.ru (substitute "Z" with "@") |
- I am interested in all aspects of evolutionary biology.
- My main objects are beetles and other insects, particularly those feeding on plant tissue and thus threatening plant resources.
- My main research areas are phylogeny, biology, taxonomy, immature stages, phylogeography and DNA barcoding.
- Geographically I tend to focus on the Old World, since this is the main source of unwanted human-assisted pest invasions to North America.
Projects:
1. Pheromone trapping of xylophagous beetles
Two classes of synthetic semiochemicals (pheromones and host volatiles) are used in lures to enhance trapping success of wood-boring insects. Pheromone-based lures are normally species-specific and are highly efficient even at low pest concentrations. Host volatiles, on the other hand, are attractive for a wide variety of species, not only the target ones. Both classes of semiochemicals are known to enhance trap performance. We test their effect to attract wood-boring insects in native forests of the Asia Pacific Region, mainly in the Russian Far East.- Sweeney, J.D., Silk, P.J., Grebennikov, V. & Mandelshtam, M.Yu. (2016) Efficacy of semiochemical-baited traps for detection of Scolytinae species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Russian Far East. European Journal of Entomology 113: 84-97.
- Sweeney, J.D., Silk, P.J. & Grebennikov, V. (2014) Efficacy of semiochemical-baited traps for detection of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Russian Far East. European Journal of Entomology 111: 397-407.
2. Diagnostics of Agrilus jewel beetles
With over 3,000 valid species, this is the largest genus in the entire Animal Kingdom. It includes the highly destructive Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), which invaded North America and Europe, causing widespread decline of ash. This project generates novel taxonomic knowledge in support of rapid and reliable pest diagnostics.- Jendek, E., Grebennikov, V. & Bocak, L. (2015) Undetected for a century: Palaearctic Agrilus ribesi Schaefer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on currant in North America, with adult morphology, larval biology and DNA barcode. Zootaxa 4034: 112-126.
- Jendek, E., Grebennikov, V. (2011) Agrilus (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) of East Asia. Nakladatelstvi Jan Farkac, Prague, 362 pp. PDF
3. DNA barcoding and phylogeography
The dynamically developing field of mtDNA phylogeography permits tracing intraspecific phylogenetic patterns and providing their geographical interpretation with the ever-increasing precision. This project focuses on numerous radiations of wingless insects, most specifically weevils, which are scrutinized in order to test and develop hypothesis of their evolutionary past.- Grebennikov, V. (2016) Flightless Catapionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) in Southwest China survive the Holocene trapped on mountaintops: new species, unknown phylogeny and clogging taxonomy. Zootaxa 4205: 243-254.
- Grebennikov, V. & Kolov, S. (2016) Flightless Notaris (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Brachycerinae: Erirhinini) in Southwest China: monophyly, mtDNA phylogeography and evolution of habitat associations. Zootaxa 4105: 557-574.
- Weirauch, C., Forthman, M., Grebennikov, V. & Banar, P. (2017) From Eastern Arc Mountains to extreme sexual dimorphism: systematics of the enigmatic assassin bug genus Xenocaucus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Tribelocephalinae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution, doi: 10.1007/s13127-016-0314-2
Fieldwork: Cameroon 2006
"Chasing beetles in Africa: postdoc's notes" (in Russian): PDF
Last updated: January 10, 2017