Mitogenomic data elucidate the phylogeny and evolution of life strategies in Dermestidae (Coleoptera)

Abstract

Dermestidae (Bostrichoidea) exploit diverse food sources including fungal mycelia, but notably they as saprophagous, feeding on decomposing and dried flesh and keratin of animals and plants. Some of them live in spider webs, vertebrate and social insect nests, while others cause damage in human dwellings. Here, we use mitogenomics to reconstruct their phylogeny and evolution of life history strategies. We recovered serial splits of Orphilinae, Thorictinae + Dermestinae, Attageninae, Trinodinae and Megatominae, and we dated the origins of all subfamilies between the Middle Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous. Extant genera started their diversification in the Middle Cretaceous, except for Dermestes that originated in the Eocene. Mycetophagy, the likely feeding style of the common ancestor with Endecatomidae, was retained only by Orphilinae. Since the Late Jurassic, most dermestids have been saprophagous with the preference for desiccated tissue. We infer a scenario of feeding preferences from mycetophagy moving to saprophagy, always depending on food with low water content, followed by the shift from cryptic life in crevices and wood, to commensalism with social Hymenoptera, and ultimately feeding on angiosperm pollen as adults. The dependence on spider larders evolved already in the Early Cretaceous, but lineages with this specialized strategy remained species-poor. We date the origin of exploitation of vertebrate carcasses to the Eocene when modern mammalian fauna became dominant. The diversification of Megatominae (62% of known dermestids) and Attagenus Latreille (17%) coincides with the radiation of angiosperms.

First mitochondrial genome of subfamily Julodinae (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) with its phylogenetic implications

“…In the past two decades, the mitochondrial genome emerged as important molecular data for higher-level phylogenetic analyses ( Saccone et al 1999 ; Timmermans et al 2010 , 2016 ; Cameron 2014 ; Li et al 2015 ; Qin et al 2015 ; Nie et al 2020 , 2021 ; Motyka et al 2022 ; Zheng et al 2022 ), evolutionary strategies ( Krzywinski et al 2011 ; Nie et al 2019 ; Motyka et al 2022 ; Zhang et al 2022 ), and genetic diversity analyses ( Lim et al 2021 ). The buprestid mitogenome also caught the attention of taxonomists.…”

First Report of Complete Mitochondrial Genome in the Tribes Coomaniellini and Dicercini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and Phylogenetic Implications

“…In the past two decades, mitogenome emerged as an important source on phylogenetic analysis [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], evolution strategies [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], and genetic diversity [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] and species delimitation [ 35 ]. In 2009, the first mitogenome in Buprestidae ( Chrysochroa fulgidissima ) was published [ 36 ].…”

“Attagenus” burmiticus from mid-Cretaceous amber reinterpreted as a member of Orphilinae (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

“…As the basal-most lineage of Dermestidae (Kiselyova & McHugh, 2006;Lawrence & Ślipiński, 2005;Motyka et al, 2022;Zhou et al, 2022), Orphilinae can be easily separated from other dermestid subfamilies based on the presence of secondary mesal articulations on both pro-and mesocoxae, the metacoxae extending laterally to meet the elytra, and the abdominal ventrites completely bordered by sharp outer carina (Lawrence & Ślipiński, 2005). the state of procoxal and mesocoxal articulations cannot be clearly determined in "Attagenus" burmiticus.…”