Mitochondrial Phylogenomics of Tenthredinidae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinoidea) Supports the Monophyly of Megabelesesinae as a Subfamily

Abstract

Tenthredinidae represents one of the external feeders of the most diverse superfamily, Tenthredinoidea, with diverse host plant utilization. In this study, four complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), those of Cladiucha punctata, Cladiucha magnoliae, Megabeleses magnoliae, and Megabeleses liriodendrovorax, are newly sequenced and comparatively analyzed with previously reported tenthredinid mitogenomes. The close investigation of mitogenomes and the phylogeny of Tenthredinidae leads us to the following conclusions: The subfamilial relationships and phylogenetic placements within Tenthredinidae are mostly found to be similar to the previously suggested phylogenies. However, the present phylogeny supports the monophyly of Megabelesesinae as a subfamily, with the sister-group placement of Cladiucha and Megabeleses outside of Allantinae. The occurrence of the same type of tRNA rearrangements (MQI and ANS1ERF) in the mitogenomes of Megabelesesinae species and the presence of apomorphic morphological characters also provide robust evidence for this new subfamily. The divergence and diversification times of the subfamilies appear to be directly related to colonization of the flowering plants following the Early Cretaceous. The origin time and diversification patterns of Megabelesesinae were also well matched with the divergence times of their host plants from Magnoliaceae.

Phylogenomic Analyses of the Tenthredinoidea Support the Familial Rank of Athaliidae (Insecta, Tenthredinoidea)

“…This speculation has received support from molecular analyses [ 25 , 31 , 33 ] and some morphological studies [ 28 , 55 ] demonstrating that Athalia and its relatives differ from the Allantinae. Uncertainties in their position come from the following two issues: (1) the relative positions of the Athaliidae and Heptamelinae and, (2) the rank of the monophyletic clade including Athalia and its relatives.…”

“…As the sampling coverage increases, a large number of shared derived features are discovered. Many of these GOs provide additional support for monophyly [ 25 ] or for defining the boundaries of higher taxa [ 26 ]. These newly discovered mitochondrial genomes fill discontinuities and restore the continuous spectrum of evolutionary scenarios, calling for more active accumulation of data and a modification of the model.…”

The complete mitochondrial genome of the woodwasp Euxiphydria potanini (Hymenoptera, Xiphydrioidea) and phylogenetic implications for symphytans

“…Various systematic studies have been conducted on sawflies using morphological and molecular approaches 2 , 5 – 18 , whereas phylogenetic approaches based on the complete mitochondrial genome (mtgenome) of all eight sawfly superfamilies 4 have rarely been used. For example, phylogenetic studies using mtgenomes have recently been performed on a few subgroups of sawflies, i.e., Cephinae 19 , Tenthredinidae 20 , or roughly examined with those of seven or fewer sawfly superfamilies in a few papers but not focused on the phylogeny 21 – 23 . Mtgenomes are becoming increasingly important for insect molecular phylogenetics and evolution, phylogeography, population genetics, taxonomy, etc.…”

The First Fossil Representatives of the Sawfly Genera Emphytus and Empria from the upper Miocene of France (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae)

“…The family Tenthredinidae is the most speciose extant sawfly family [1]. Nevertheless, its fossil record remains scarce, especially for the Cretaceous, even if recent phylogenetic analyses have suggested a Cretaceous age for the diversification of the family into its modern subfamilies, especially for the Allantinae [2,3]. Described fossil Allantinae comprise Athalia vetuecclesiae Wappler et al, 2005, Athalia (?)…”