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Molecular phylogeny of N itidulidae: assessment of subfamilial and tribal classification and formalization of the family C ybocephalidae ( C oleoptera: C ucujoidea)
Author(s) -
CLINE ANDREW R.,
SMITH TREVOR R.,
MILLER KELLY,
MOULTON MATTHEW,
WHITING MICHAEL,
AUDISIO PAOLO
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
systematic entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1365-3113
pISSN - 0307-6970
DOI - 10.1111/syen.12084
Subject(s) - paraphyly , biology , monophyly , sister group , taxon , subfamily , zoology , genus , clade , phylogenetic tree , molecular phylogenetics , evolutionary biology , botany , genetics , gene
We present a molecular phylogeny of N itidulidae based on thirty ingroup taxa representing eight of the ten currently recognized subfamilies. Approximately 10 K base pairs from seven loci ( 12S , 16S , 18S , 28S , COI , COII and H3 ) were used for the phylogenetic reconstruction. The phylogeny supports the following main conclusions: (i) Cybocephalidae are formally recognized as a distinct family not closely related to N itidulidae and its constituent taxa are defined; (ii) K ateretidae are sister to N itidulidae; (iii) C ryptarchinae are monophyletic and sister to the remaining nitidulid subfamilies; (iv) subfamily P rometopinae stat. res. is reinstated and defined, to accommodate taxa allied to Axyra E richson, Prometopia E richson and Megauchenia MacLeay ; (v) A mphicrossinae, C arpophilinae and E puraeinae are shown to be closely related taxa within a well‐supported monophyletic clade; (vi) tribal affinities and respective monophyly within N itidulinae are poorly resolved by our data and must be more rigorously tested as there was little or no support for prior morphologically based tribes or genus‐level complexes; (vii) N itidulinae are found to be paraphyletic with respect to C illaeinae and M eligethinae, suggesting that they should either be subsumed as tribes, or N itidulinae should be divided into several subfamilies to preserve the status of C illaeinae and M eligethinae; (viii) Teichostethus S harp stat. res. is not a synonym of H ebascus E richson and the former is reinstated as a valid genus. These conclusions and emendations are discussed in detail and presented within a morphological framework.