Molecular phylogeny of the dung beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot

The tribal and generic-level phylogeny of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) dung beetles have been often debated globally. However, fauna from India have not been a part of these analyses due to lack of data. We used partial sequences of 16S mtDNA gene of dung beetles collected from different parts of the Western Ghats, India, to examine (i) the tribal positions of Onthophagini, Onitini and Oniticellini, and (ii) the phylogenetic position of different genera of Onthophagini. We found that Oniticellini nested within Onthophagini, suggesting the invalid position of Oniticellini. The nonOnthophagus genera of Onthophagini - Caccobius, Cleptocaccobius, Milichus - nested within Onthophagus, suggesting that these three genera might be invalid and could be subgenera of Onthophagus. Onitini formed a separate clade in the phylogenetic tree. The results suggest for tribal-level reclassification of dung beetles, as noted in previous studies. The present study may enrich the molecular data of the Indian dung beetles, which are currently lacking.

Automated summary

Using partial sequences of 16S mtDNA gene from dung beetles in the Western Ghats, India, the study suggests the need for tribal-level reclassification of the Scarabaeinae dung beetles, including reevaluating the positions of certain tribes and genera.