Phylogenomic analysis suggests Coreidae and Alydidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are not monophyletic

Abstract

Next‐generation sequencing technologies (NGS) allow systematists to amass a wealth of genomic data from non‐model species for phylogenetic resolution at various temporal scales. However, phylogenetic inference for many lineages dominated by non‐model species has not yet benefited from NGS, which can complement Sanger sequencing studies. One such lineage, whose phylogenetic relationships remain uncertain, is the diverse, agriculturally important and charismatic Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Given the lack of consensus on higher‐level relationships and the importance of a robust phylogeny for evolutionary hypothesis testing, we use a large data set comprised of hundreds of ultraconserved element (UCE) loci to infer the phylogeny of Coreoidea (excluding Stenocephalidae and Hyocephalidae), with emphasis on the families Coreidae and Alydidae. We generated three data sets by including alignments that contained loci sampled for at least 50%, 60%, or 70% of the total taxa, and inferred phylogeny using maximum likelihood and summary coalescent methods. Twenty‐six external morphological features used in relatively comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of coreoids were also re‐evaluated within our molecular phylogenetic framework. We recovered 439–970 loci per species (16%–36% of loci targeted) and combined this with previously generated UCE data for 12 taxa. All data sets, regardless of analytical approach, yielded topologically similar and strongly supported trees, with the exception of outgroup relationships and the position of Hydarinae. We recovered a monophyletic Coreoidea, with Rhopalidae highly supported as the sister group to Alydidae + Coreidae. Neither Alydidae nor Coreidae were monophyletic; the coreid subfamilies Hydarinae and Pseudophloeinae were recovered as more closely related to Alydidae than to other coreid subfamilies. Coreinae were paraphyletic with respect to Meropachyinae. Most morphological traits were homoplastic with several clades defined by few, if any, synapomorphies. Our results demonstrate the utility of phylogenomic approaches in generating robust hypotheses for taxa with long‐standing phylogenetic problems and highlight that novel insights may come from such approaches.

The evolution of autotomy in leaf‐footed bugs

“…For the remaining 35 taxa, genomic DNA was extracted following Forthman et al. (2019) (Forthman et al. unpubl.…”

“…Leaf‐footed bugs and allies (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coreidae + Alydidae; henceforth referred to as leaf‐footed bugs; see Forthman et al. 2019) are an ideal clade to investigate the evolution of autotomy. These insects autotomize their legs to escape predation (Z. Emberts, pers.…”

Phylogenomics of the leaf-footed bug subfamily Coreinae (Hemiptera: Coreidae): applicability of ultraconserved elements at shallower depths

“…Coreini whose circumscription has varied among studies. Secondly, we test previous hypotheses 126 regarding phylogenetic relationships within Coreinae, such as the early divergence of Colpurini 127 from other tribes (Schaefer 1965, Ahmad 1970 Meropachyinae (Li 1996, 1997, Kieran et al 2019, Forthman et al 2019). Third, we explore the 130 suitability of UCEs at shallower scales by including multiple species within several genera 131 whose limits have been generally uncontroversial.…”

“…Although 113 Li (1997) found evidence that at some coreine tribes are not monophyletic, many of the 21 114 sampled coreine tribes were represented by a single species. Furthermore, many morphological 115 traits analyzed by Li (1997) were recently shown to exhibit homoplasy (Forthman et al 2019). 116…”

Scanning the Hyocephalidae: details of their external morphology with respect to phylogenetic relationships within Eutrichophora (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

“…they treated Maevius indecorus as plant-dwelling). The traditional classifi cation and hypotheses on the phylogeny of Coreoidea have recently been challenged by the phylogenomic study by FORTHMAN et al (2019), focusing on the relationships within Alydidae and Coreidae. The relationships of Hyocephalidae and Stenocephalidae (not included in the dataset of FORTHMAN et al 2019) with other Coreoidea and Eutrichophora and the traditional concept of Coreoidea still have to be tested using a representative taxon and character sampling.…”