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

• Main Authors: Gengyun Niu, Sijia Jiang, Özgül Doğan, Ertan Mahir Korkmaz, Mahir Budak, Duo Wu, Meicai Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Insects
• Subjects: mitochondrial DNA; Asia; coevolution; phylogenetic systematics; sawfly; feeding adaptation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/12/6/495

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 <i>Cladiucha punctata</i>, <i>Cladiucha magnoliae</i>, <i>Megabeleses magnoliae</i>, and <i>Megabeleses liriodendrovorax</i>, 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 <i>Cladiucha</i> and <i>Megabeleses</i> 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.