From UCEs to geography: Setting the stage for spatial phylogenomics and diet evolution of Miridae

Plant bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) rank among the 20 most species-rich insect families ( >11,000 species) and are particularly speciose in Mediterranean habitats. While many species of Miridae are phytophagous with narrow host plant repertoires, the family also includes predatory, mycetophagous, and zoophytophagous lineages. Despite their diversity, economic importance as crop pests and beneficial predators, and a massive biodiversity dataset compiled through previous initiatives, current phylogenetic hypotheses for Miridae are taxon-poor, poorly resolved, and conflicting. This lack of robust phylogenetic frameworks has hindered investigations into their biogeographic history and host plant evolution. Here, we present the major aims of a recently funded NSF project to address these issues. First, a taxon-rich, robust phylogeny of Miridae will be inferred using ultraconserved elements to explore temporal and dietary evolution within the group. Second, the biogeographic history and host plant interactions of select Nearctic lineages, with a particular focus on the origin of Miridae in the California Floristic Province (CA-FP) biodiversity hotspot. Lastly, we will infer the phylogenetic diversity and endemism of the family within the CA-FP and compare these with patterns observed for plants and vertebrates.