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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. 

The rise of angiosperms to ecological dominance and the breakup of Gondwana during the Mesozoic marked major transitions in the evolutionary history of insect-plant interactions. To elucidate how contemporary trophic interactions were influenced by host plant shifts and palaeogeographical events, we integrated molecular data with information from the fossil record to construct a time tree for ancient phytophagous weevils of the beetle family Belidae. Our analyses indicate that crown-group Belidae originated approximately 138 Ma ago in Gondwana, associated with Pinopsida (conifer) host plants, with larvae likely developing in dead/decaying branches. Belids tracked their host plants as major plate movements occurred during Gondwana’s breakup, surviving on distant, disjunct landmasses. Some belids shifted to Angiospermae and Cycadopsida when and where conifers declined, evolving new trophic interactions, including brood-pollination mutualisms with cycads and associations with achlorophyllous parasitic angiosperms. Extant radiations of belids in the generaRhinotia(Australian region) andProterhinus(Hawaiian Islands) have relatively recent origins.