Phylogenomic Analyses of the Tenthredinoidea Support Familial Rank of Athaliidae (Insecta, Tenthredinoidea)
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Date
21.09.2022Author
Gengyun, NiuBudak, Mahir
Korkmaz, Ertan Mahir
Doğan, Özgül
Nel, André
Wan,Siying
Cai, Chenyang
Jouault, Corentin
Li, Min
Wei, Meicai
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Gengyun Niu 1 , Mahir Budak 2 , Ertan Mahir Korkmaz 2 , Özgül Do ˘gan 2 , André Nel 3 , Siying Wan 1 , Chenyang Cai 4 , Corentin Jouault 3,5,6 , Min Li 1 and Meicai Wei 1,* 1 Laboratory of Insect Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China 2 Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas 58140, Turkey 3 Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France 4 State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China 5 University Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France 6 CNRS, Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, UMR 5554, 34090 Montpellier, FranceAbstract
The systematic status of the genus Athalia and related genera is a perennial controversy
in sawfly taxonomy. Several authors have hypothesized that the placement of Athalia within the
Tenthredinidae is artificial, but no studies have focused on this topic. If the hypothesis that Athalia
does not belong to Tenthredinidae can be supported, the taxonomic framework of Tenthredinoidea
needs revision. We present a comprehensive phylogenomic study of Tenthredinoidae, focusing on the
positions of Athalia and related genera by sampling 80 representatives mainly of the Tenthredinoidea,
including Heptamelinae and Blasticotomidae. Our phylogenetic reconstructions based on nuclear
genes and mitochondrial (mt) sequences support Athalia and related genera as a distinct clade sister to
Tenthredinidae + (Cimbicidae + Diprionidae). A comparison of symphytan mitochondrial genomes
reveals an innovative gene rearrangement pattern in Athaliidae, in which Dentathalia demonstrates a
more ancestral pattern than Athalia and Hypsathalia. The lineage specificity of mt rRNA secondary
structures also provides sufficient support to consider Athaliidae as a separate family. In summary,
the phylogeny and genomic structural changes unanimously support the taxonomic treatment of
Athaliidae as a family and the re-establishment of Dentathalia as a valid genus.