Phylogenomics of the brachinine bombardier beetles (Carabidae: Brachininae) using ultraconserved elements

Bombardier beetles of the carabid subfamily Brachininae possess one of the most well-known insect defense mechanisms: they can produce an exothermic reaction inside their bodies and explode a 100°C cloud of quinones directly at enemies. Current understanding of the taxonomy and phylogeny of Brachininae is based on a comprehensive morphological dataset. However, recent phylogenetic work has demonstrated that morphological characters alone may not be sufficient to infer phylogeny in this group, and molecular data may be necessary to refine morphological hypotheses and better infer evolutionary history. This work produces a molecular phylogeny of the major lineages of Brachininae using ultraconserved elements, and introduces an expanded UCE probe set for examinations within the Adephaga. Continued phylogenetic work is critical for answering biological questions within this unique carabid lineage.