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Abstract The family Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) is a species‐rich group of aculeate wasps that occur worldwide. The higher‐level classification of the family has historically been controversial due, in part, to the extreme sexual dimorphism exhibited by these insects and their morphological similarity to other wasp taxa that also have apterous females. Modern hypotheses on the internal higher classification of Mutillidae have been exclusively based on morphology and, further, they include Myrmosinae as a mutillid subfamily. In contrast, several molecular‐based family‐level studies of Aculeata recovered Myrmosinae as a nonmutillid taxon. To test the validity of these morphology‐based classifications and the phylogenetic placement of the controversial taxon Myrmosinae, a phylogenomic study of Mutillidae was conducted using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). All currently recognized subfamilies and tribes of Mutillidae were represented in this study using 140 ingroup taxa. The maximum likelihood criterion (ML) and the maximum parsimony criterion (MP) were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships within the family and related taxa using an aligned data set of 238,764 characters; the topologies of these respective analyses were largely congruent. The modern higher classification of Mutillidae, based on morphology, is largely congruent with the phylogenomic results of this study at the subfamily level, whereas the tribal classification is poorly supported. The subfamily Myrmosinae was recovered as sister to Sapygidae in the ML analysis and sister to Sapygidae + Pompilidae in the MP analysis; it is consequently raised to the family level, Myrmosidae,stat.nov.The two constituent tribes of Myrmosidae are raised to the subfamily level, Kudakrumiinae,stat.nov., and Myrmosinae,stat.nov.All four recognized tribes of Mutillinae were found to be non‐monophyletic; three additional mutilline clades were recovered in addition to Ctenotillini, Mutillini, Smicromyrmini, and Trogaspidiini sensu stricto. Three new tribes are erected for members of these clades: Pristomutillini Waldren,trib.nov., Psammothermini Waldren,trib.nov., and Zeugomutillini Waldren,trib.nov.All three recognized tribes of Sphaeropthalminae were found to be non‐monophyletic; six additional sphaeropthalmine clades were recovered in addition to Dasymutillini, Pseudomethocini, and Sphaeropthalmini sensu stricto. The subtribe Ephutina of Mutillinae: Mutillini was found to be polyphyletic, with theEphutagenus‐group recovered within Sphaeropthalminae and theOdontomutillagenus‐group recovered as sister to Myrmillinae + Mutillinae. Consequently, the subtribe Ephutina is transferred from Mutillinae: Mutillini and is raised to a tribe within Sphaeropthalminae, Ephutini,stat.nov.Further, the taxon Odontomutillinae,stat.nov., is raised from a synonym of Ephutina to the subfamily level. The sphaeropthalmine tribe Pseudomethocini was found to be polyphyletic, with the subtribe Euspinoliina recovered as a separate clade in Sphaeropthalminae; consequently, Euspinoliina is raised to a tribe, Euspinoliini,stat.nov., in Sphaeropthalminae. The dasylabrine tribe Apteromutillini was recovered within Dasylabrini and is proposed as a new synonym of Dasylabrinae. Finally, dating analyses were conducted to infer the ages of the Pompiloidea families (Mutillidae, Myrmosidae, Pompilidae, and Sapygidae) and the ages of the Mutillidae subfamilies and tribes.
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This content will become publicly available on February 14, 2026
Unravelling the evolution of mycetophagy and phytophagy in fungus weevils (Curculionoidea: Anthribidae): Phylogenomic insights into Anthribinae paraphyly and tribal non‐monophyly
Abstract Fungus weevils (family Anthribidae) are morphologically and ecologically diverse, with highly varied feeding habits, mainly mycetophagy but also phytophagy, palynophagy and entomophagy. The phylogeny of the family is virtually unexplored, its evolutionary history obscure; thus, the existing classification is controversial and likely artificial. We generated the first multi‐gene higher‐level phylogeny estimate of Anthribidae using DNA data from 400 nuclear genes obtained via anchored hybrid enrichment from 40 species representing 17 tribes plus generaincertae sedis. As in previous studies, the family Anthribidae was consistently recovered as the sister group of Nemonychidae. We recovered two main clades in Anthribidae as sister groups with strong statistical support, viz. a monophyletic subfamily Urodontinae and the traditionally recognized Anthribinae, which was rendered paraphyletic by the subfamily Choraginae. Paraphyly and polyphyly among tribes of Anthribinae indicate that current tribal concepts—all based on morphology and without phylogenetic analysis—are artificial. Based on our results, we subsume the subfamily Choraginae into Anthribinae and place its six current tribes (Apolectini, Araecerini, Choragini, Cisanthribini, Valenfriesiini and Xenorchestini) in an expanded subfamily Anthribinae. We also transfer three genera currently treated as Anthribinaeincertae sedisto three generally recognized tribes, namelyPleosporiusHolloway to Sintorini,XylanthribusKuschel to Proscoporhinini andAnthribidusFåhraeus to Platystomini. The phylogenetic positions of Urodontinae and Trigonorhinini suggest that phytophagy is the ancestral feeding mode of Anthribidae, with a few taxa of Anthribinae having secondarily evolved plant‐feeding from mycetophagy, the predominant feeding habit of the subfamily. Overall, our results provide the first molecular phylogenetic context for research on Anthribidae and a first step towards reconstructing a natural tribal classification of the Anthribinae. Our study highlights the need for a phylogenetic approach, sampling of type genera and deeper taxon sampling to identify natural tribal‐level groupings.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2110053
- PAR ID:
- 10608648
- Publisher / Repository:
- Royal Entomological Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Systematic Entomology
- ISSN:
- 0307-6970
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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