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Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Megalopodidae in relation to host plants and morphological traits
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DOI：10.1163/18759866-BJA10091.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Megalopodidae are a relatively small and rare family of phytophagous beetles in the superfamily Chrysomeloidea, whose adults and larvae are fully dependent on host plants. Despite its nearly global distribution, the Chinese fauna significantly contributes to the family's diversity, with the genera Clythraxeloma and Temnaspis accounting for approximately 73% and 45% of their respective global species richness, respectively. However, difficulties in obtaining specimens have continuously hindered molecular systematic research, leaving the phylogenetic relationships within Megalopodidae poorly understood. Here, through extensive fieldwork spanning more than a decade, we obtained 113 samples representing 29 species across three genera (Clythraxeloma, Temnaspis and Zeugophora) within two subfamilies in China, and produced their molecular data of mitochondrial genes (col and cytb) and nuclear rRNA genes (18S and 28S) by Sanger sequencing method. We performed phylogenetic analysis based on these four molecular makers. Our phylogenetic analyses provide strong support for the monophyly of Megalopodidae, including its subfamilies Megalopodinae and Zeugophorinae, as well as the genera Temnaspis and Zeugophora. Clythraxeloma, however, was reconstructed as non-monophyletic. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analyses suggest that Megalopodinae is the sister group to Zeugophorinae. A pronounced evolutionary conservatism in host plant associations was detected in Temnaspis and in Zeugophorinae, indicating that closely related megalopodids tend to utilize congeneric or confamilial host plants. These findings provide critical insights into the evolutionary history and ecological specialization of the phytophagous beetle family Megalopodidae.
Keywords:
Megalopodidae
mtDNA
morphology
nuclear rRNA
phylogeny
phytophagy
Journal
C
IF:
2.2
Papers:
11
Citations:
0