Systematic Entomology最新文献

Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) comprise 13 distinct tribes whose interrelationships remain incompletely understood. Recent analyses of ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) represent the first attempt at resolving these relationships using phylogenomics. Here, we present the first analysis based on protein-coding sequences from genome and transcriptome assemblies. Unlike UCEs, these data allow more sophisticated substitution models, which can potentially resolve issues with long-branch attraction. We include data for 37 cynipoid species, including two tribes missing in the UCE analysis: Aylacini (s. str.) and Qwaqwaiini. Our results confirm the UCE result that Cynipidae are not monophyletic. Specifically, the Paraulacini and Diplolepidini + Pediaspidini fall outside a core clade (Cynipidae s. str.), which is more closely related to the insect-parasitic Figitidae, and this result is robust to the exclusion of long-branch taxa that could mislead the analysis. Given this, we here divide the Cynipidae into three families: the Paraulacidae stat. prom., Diplolepididae stat. prom. and Cynipidae (s. str.). Our results suggest that the Eschatocerini are the sister group of the remaining Cynipidae (s. str.). Within the Cynipidae (s. str.), the Aylacini (s. str.) are more closely related to oak gall wasps (Cynipini) and some of their inquilines (Ceroptresini) than to other herb gallers (Aulacideini and Phanacidini), and the Qwaqwaiini likely form a clade together with Synergini (s. str.) and Rhoophilini. Several alternative scenarios for the evolution of cynipid life histories are compatible with the relationships suggested by our analysis, but all are complex and require multiple shifts among parasitoids, inquilines and gall inducers.

Generic relationships within the parasitoid wasp subfamily Braconinae are assessed based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of four gene fragments: mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S rDNA, nuclear 28S D2-D3 rDNA and elongation factor 1-alpha. Our results support the recognition of Aphrastobraconini, Braconini and Coeloidini plus three new tribes: Compsobraconini tribus nov., Tropobraconini tribus nov. and Virgulibraconini tribus nov. The first of these new tribes is restricted to the New World; the second includes the Old World genera Tropobracon Cameron, Trispinaria Quicke and Grangerbracon Samartsev and Belokobylskij and possibly others, whereas the third comprises the Australian genus Virgulibracon Quicke, plus several other described and undescribed Australian genera. Consistent placement of Amyosoma Viereck with members of the Virgulibraconini tribus nov. is discussed, whereas Amyosoma is left currently unplaced. A preliminary key to tribes is presented, and the characters used to differentiate between Aphrastobraconini and Braconini are revised. Megacoeloides Quicke was never recovered with Coeloides, the type genus of Coeloidini, so it is treated as Braconinae incertae sedis. By combining molecular and morphological traits, nearly all valid genera are assigned to tribes, and the possible relationships of the remainder are discussed. Alienoclypeus Shenefelt, 1978 is synonymised with Atanycolus Förster, 1862 (Atanycolus insolitus (Shenefelt) comb. nov.). Several new genera have been revealed and will be described elsewhere.

While new species of termites are described every year, the description of species distant from every known termite species is rare. In this paper, we describe one such species, Engelitermes zambo sp.n., an African Termitidae belonging to an entirely new lineage of termites for which we create a new subfamily, Engelitermitinae subfam.n. The subfamily status of Engelitermitinae was supported by termite phylogenetic trees, including sequences from the four existing samples of E. zambo sp.n., which, albeit with low bootstrap supports, placed Engelitermes gen.n. on a long branch sister to Forficulitermes, the two of which formed the sister group of a clade comprising Cubitermitinae, Nasutitermitinae, Syntermitinae and all other Termitinae. The sister relationship between Engelitermes gen.n. and Forficulitermes is further supported by the similar gut structure of their workers. In contrast, the soldiers of Engelitermes gen.n. resemble those of Cephalotermes. Our phylogenetic analyses, including all clades of Termitinae, call for a global taxonomic revision of the Termitinae subfamily names. Finally, our study highlights that new unique termite lineages are still awaiting to be described.

Philonthina (2864 species in 74 genera) represents almost one-half of the diversity of Staphylinini and is the largest of its subtribes. Most Philonthina species are found in tropical areas, but the origin of this diversity is still not well understood, mainly because their systematics belongs to a past era of taxonomy. Such is the case of a group of genera, most of them endemic to the Neotropical region (NT), whose monophyly has been repeatedly confirmed and which constitutes the so-called Neotropical lineage (NL). However, basal relationships have not been clarified, neither for Philonthina nor its NL. The NL includes ∼300 species and 26 genera, but two of them (Belonuchus Nordmann and Paederomimus Sharp) account for two-thirds of its species. Here, using the largest molecular-based phylogeny of Philonthina and its NL to date, a time-calibrated phylogeny, and ancestral range reconstructions for the NL, we explore the evolutionary history of Philonthina with a focus on its NL to reveal their early evolution and diversification in the NT. We show that Philonthina originated during the Late Cretaceous ∼ 67.6 Ma and diversified into five main lineages mostly during the Eocene. The NL originated in northwestern South America (SA) and the Andes not earlier than 64.2 Ma from a Laurasian lineage present in SA ∼49.1–69.9 Ma. Shortly afterward, that is, 39.9–56.9 Ma, the NL diversified into the Andean clade and the most species-rich Belonuchus-Paederomimus group. Our analyses recover northwestern SA and the Andes as the primary centers of diversification. Dispersal events to the northern landmasses took place at least three times during the Miocene in the early evolution of the NL.

Mitochondrial (mtDNA) genes have served as widely utilised genetic loci for phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies of animals. However, the phylogenetic performance of many mtDNA genes has not been empirically evaluated across lineages within hymenopteran wasps. To address this question, we assembled and analysed mitogenomic data from social wasps, representing the four recognised tribes of Polistinae and all Epiponini genera. Additionally, we evaluated whether mtDNA gene order in Polistinae is congruent with its tribal classification. Using concatenation phylogenetic methods, we show phylogenetic congruence between mitogenomic and nuclear data. Statistically comparing the phylogenetic performance of individual mtDNA genes, we demonstrate that for social wasps the molecular markers COI, 16S, NAD5, and NAD2 perform best, while ATP6, COII, and 12S show the worst results. Finally, we verified that the tRNA cluster close to the noncoding region is a hotspot of genetic rearrangements in Vespidae and can be used as additional information for the systematics of this group. Together, these results indicate that mitogenomes contain robust phylogenetic signal to elucidate the evolutionary history of Vespidae. Moreover, our study identifies the best choice of mtDNA markers for systematic investigations of social wasps.

Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) are a diverse and ecologically important group of angiosperm-associated insects. As conventionally understood, scarab beetles comprise two major lineages: dung beetles and the phytophagous Pleurosticti. However, previous phylogenetic analyses have not been able to convincingly answer the question whether or not the two lineages form a monophyletic group. Here, we report our results from phylogenetic analyses of more than 4000 genes mined from transcriptomes of more than 50 species of Scarabaeidae and other Scarabaeoidea. Our results provide convincing support for the monophyly of Scarabaeidae, confirming the debated sister group relationship of dung beetles and phytophagous pleurostict scarabs. Supermatrix-based maximum likelihood and multispecies coalescent phylogenetic analyses strongly imply the subfamily Melolonthinae as currently understood being paraphyletic. We consequently suggest various changes in the systematics of Melolonthinae: Sericinae Kirby, 1837 stat. rest. and sensu n. to include the tribes Ablaberini, Diphucephalini and Sericini, and Sericoidinae Erichson, 1847 stat. rest. and sensu n. to include the tribes Automoliini, Heteronychini, Liparetrini, Maechidiini, Phyllotocini, Scitalini, and Sericoidini. Both subfamilies appear to consistently form a monophyletic sister group to all remaining subfamilies so far included within pleurostict scarabs except Orphninae. Our results represent a major step towards understanding the diversification history of one of the largest angiosperm-associated radiations of beetles.

Web-building spiders are formidable predators, yet assassin bugs in the Emesine Complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae, Saicinae, and Visayanocorinae) prey on spiders. The Emesine Complex comprises >1000 species and these web-associated predatory strategies may have driven their diversification. However, lack of natural history data and a robust phylogenetic framework currently preclude tests of this hypothesis. We combine Sanger (207 taxa, 3865 bp) and high-throughput sequencing data (15 taxa, 381 loci) to generate the first taxon- and data-rich phylogeny for this group. We discover rampant paraphyly among subfamilies and tribes, necessitating revisions to the classification. We use ancestral character state reconstructions for 40 morphological characters to identify diagnostic features for a revised classification. Our new classification treats Saicinae Stål and Visayanocorinae Miller as junior synonyms of Emesinae Amyot and Serville, synonymizes the emesine tribes Ploiariolini Van Duzee and Metapterini Stål with Emesini Amyot and Serville, and recognises six tribes within Emesinae (Collartidini Wygodzinsky, Emesini, Leistarchini Stål, Oncerotrachelini trib.n., Saicini Stål stat.n., and Visayanocorini Miller stat.n.). We show that a pretarsal structure putatively involved in web-associated behaviours evolved in the last common ancestor of Emesini, the most species-rich clade within Emesinae, suggesting that web-associations could be widespread in Emesinae.

The monophyletic status of the genus Oreina as well as its phylogenetic relation to the closely related genera Chrysolina, Crosita and Cyrtonus has been debated for several decades. To assess the status of the genus and understand its evolutionary history, we performed a museomics study on 148 museum specimens belonging to 25 of the 28 described Oreina species as well as 19 other chrysomelid species, mainly from the genus Chrysolina. Using innovative molecular methods relying on hyRAD hybridization capture, we succeeded in recovering 2235 shared nuclear loci. Phylogenomic analyses clearly demonstrated that Oreina species form a clade separated from Chrysolina. These analyses also revealed the position of Chrysolina fastuosa outside of the genus Chrysolina, supporting the following taxonomic status updates: Fasta stat. rev., Fasta fastuosa comb. nov. Within the genus Oreina, we further propose the synonymization of Oreina (Frigidorina) syn. n. and Oreina (Virgulatorina) syn. n. with Oreina (Chrysochloa). Divergence time and ancestral range estimations suggested that Oreina originated approximately 53 Ma in the Alps. Ancestral host plant reconstruction revealed key shifts during Oreina diversification. Overall, our study reinforces the importance of museum collections for molecular analysis and the effectiveness of hybridization capture approaches for conducting phylogenomic studies and finely investigating controversial taxonomic debates.

Underwing moths in the genus Catocala Schrank are among the most charismatic of Lepidoptera. Catocala is also one of the most diverse genera worldwide in the speciose family Erebidae, but a phylogenetic framework for the genus is lacking. Here we reconstruct the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the genus based on 685 anchored hybrid enrichment loci sampled from 161 Catocala species (99 Nearctic, 62 Palearctic), four species of Ulotrichopus Wallengren and 33 outgroups. Phylogenetic analysis unambiguously recovers Catocala and Catocala + Ulotrichopus as monophyletic with strong support and resolves many backbone relationships within Catocala. Our results confirm the classification of previously proposed taxonomic subgroups of Catocala, including seven based on recent molecular/morphological evidence, and ten based on early twentieth-century morphological research. Mapping of larval host plant use onto the tree shows Fabaceae to be the likely ancestral host plant family for Catocala and Catocala + Ulotrichopus. There appear to have been at least 18 independent larval host plant shifts to nine plant families, the most common shift being from Fabaceae to Fagaceae. Larval host plant use has likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of Catocala, with several rapid diversification events propelled by shifts to novel larval host plants, particularly in the North American Catocala fauna.