Monumental progress in the systematics of the minute clubbed beetles: The first large-scale molecular phylogeny of the Monotomidae (Coleoptera: Nitiduloidea)

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

4:00 PM – 4:12 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 132 A, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

TM

Thomas C. McElrath

Collections Manager
Illinois Natural History Survey
Champaign, Illinois

Co-Author(s)

GM

Gavin Martin

Laramie County Community College
Cheyenne, Wyoming
GP

Gareth S. Powell

Graduate Student
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

The Monotomidae are a small, cosmopolitan family (257 species) of mycophagous and predaceous beetles that have so far escaped a comprehensive molecular phylogeny, despite their interesting biology and economic impact. We present here the first molecular phylogenetic analysis targeting both subfamilies, all four tribes, and nearly 20% of the described species diversity. We generated phylogenomic data using an anchored hybrid enrichment probe set (703 loci) designed specifically for Nitiduloidea. We also compare feeding behavior evolution to closely related families such as the Nitidulidae, and compare the existing morphological classification to our molecular results.