Phylogenomic analysis with improved taxon sampling corroborates an Alydidae plus Hydarinae plus Pseudophloeinae clade (Heteroptera: Coreoidea: Alydidae, Coreidae)

Recent phylogenomic analyses within the insect superfamily Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) have begun to challenge previous phylogenetic hypotheses of the Coreidae and Alydidae based on more traditional cladistic and non-cladistic studies. Phylogenomic studies have found the coreid subfamilies Hydarinae and Pseudophloeinae to be more closely related to a potentially paraphyletic Alydidae (an AHP clade) in contrast with traditional cladistic studies. However, taxon sampling within these higher-level groups has remained sparse in current phylogenetic analyses, and the taxonomic positions and monophyly of some of these taxa continue to be unclear. Here, we expand upon previous phylogenomic studies using ultraconserved element loci by increasing taxon sampling within the AHP clade. Using concatenation and summary coalescent approaches, we specifically tested previous support for an AHP clade, the paraphyly of Alydidae, the phylogenetic position of Hydarinae, and the monophyly of the two tribes of Pseudophloeinae. Our results robustly support an AHP clade and resolved the position of Hydarinae as the sister group to a clade consisting of a paraphyletic Alydidae and Pseudophloeinae, regardless of analytical method and locus/gene tree filtering strategies we employed. We also found support for the monophyly of the pseudophloeine tribes Clavigrallini and Pseudophloeini, but generic relationships within each of these tribes varied across analyses. We discuss past non-cladistic morphological studies that have suggested the potential for an AHP clade in light of our results, and we highlight further systematic work needed to discern the AHP clade as a morphologically diagnosable group for future re-classification of the Alydidae and Coreidae.

Automated summary

Recent phylogenomic analyses challenge previous phylogenetic hypotheses of Coreidae and Alydidae within the insect superfamily Coreoidea. The study expands upon previous research and supports the existence of an AHP clade, resolves the position of Hydarinae, and confirms the monophyly of pseudophloeine tribes. Further systematic work is needed for the reclassification of Alydidae and Coreidae.