Combined UCE and Sanger phylogeny reconstructs the complex evolution of body shape and coloration patterns in the largest plant bug subfamily Mirinae (Heteroptera: Miridae)

Monday, November 11, 2024

8:24 AM – 8:36 AM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 225 A, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

Veronica Tyts (she/her/hers)

PhD student
University of California
Riverside, California

Co-Author(s)

CW

Christiane Weirauch

University of California
Riverside, California

The Miridae, or plant bugs, are one of the largest insect families, comprising about 25% of all true bug species (Heteroptera). The most species-rich subfamily of that group, Mirinae, includes more than 320 genera and 4,100 species, found in all biogeographic regions. Representatives of the subfamily are extremely diverse morphologically with several myrmecomorphic or seed-like elongated genera as well as aposematically colored lineages. Obtaining a robust phylogeny is crucial to investigating the evolution of morphological characters which could be especially problematic in large and taxonomically challenging groups of insects. For the present study, we combined UCE loci with four markers to construct the first data-rich phylogeny, resolve the relationships between tribes of the subfamily, and provide insights into the evolution of body shape and coloration of Mirinae.