Higher-Level Phylogeny and Reclassification of Lampyridae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

Abstract

Fireflies (Lampyridae Rafinesque) are a diverse family of beetles which exhibit an array of morphologies including varying antennal and photic organ features. Due in part to their morphological diversity, the classification within the Lampyridae has long been in flux. Here we use an anchored hybrid enrichment approach to reconstruct the most extensive molecular phylogeny of Lampyridae to date (436 loci and 98 taxa) and use this phylogeny to evaluate the higher-level classification of the group. None of the currently recognized subfamilies were recovered as monophyletic with high support. We propose several classification changes supported by both phylogenetic and morphological evidence: 1) Pollaclasis Newman, Vestini McDermott (incl. Vesta Laporte, Dodacles Olivier, Dryptelytra Laporte, and Ledocas Olivier), Photoctus McDermott, and Araucariocladus Silveira & Mermudes are transferred to Lampyridae incertae sedis, 2) Psilocladinae Mcdermott, 1964status novum is reestablished for the genus Psilocladus Blanchard, 3) Lamprohizini Kazantsev, 2010 is elevated to Lamprohizinae Kazantsev, 2010status novum and Phausis LeConte is transferred to Lamprohizinae, 4) Memoan Silveira and Mermudes is transferred to Amydetinae Olivier, and 5) Scissicauda McDermott is transferred to Lampyrinae Rafinesque.

Phylogenomic relationships of bioluminescent elateroids define the ‘lampyroid’ clade with clicking Sinopyrophoridae as its earliest member

“…Since South America is a major epicentre for bioluminescent species, the region has been hypothesized as the ancestral region for the diversification of fireflies (Amaral et al ., 2016). The sister group position of the elaterid‐like East Asian Sinopyrophoridae (Figs 2, 3), the predominantly Laurasian distribution of two of the deepest subfamilies of fireflies, Ototretinae and Luciolinae (Kundrata et al ., 2014; Martin et al ., 2017, 2019; Zhang et al ., 2018a) (Fig. 3), Southeast Asian Rhagophthalmidae, and the presence of Phengodidae in Burmese amber (unpublished data) suggest as an alternative hypothesis that the early diversification of the bioluminescent lineages took place in eastern Laurasia and was followed by subsequent intensive radiations of fireflies in the Neotropical region.…”

“…More shallow estimations of 115–125 Ma (McKenna et al ., 2015; Fallon et al ., 2018), as well as a deeper one at 165 Ma (Kusy et al ., 2018a,b) are also hypothesized. The estimations for the earliest split between the fireflies and glow‐worm clade are similarly inconclusive, at ∼98 Ma (Zhang et al ., 2018a), ∼122 Ma (Martin et al ., 2019), and ∼140 Ma (Kusy et al ., 2018a,b), but the presence of a lucioline firefly in Burman amber supports older dates (Kazantsev, 2015). If we consider median estimations, the elaterid‐lampyroid clade would have originated in the lower Cretaceous and the subsequent split of the Lampyridae, Rhagophthalmidae and Phengodidae clade in the mid‐Cretaceous.…”

“…Bioluminescence has been intensively studied by numerous researchers (Costa, 1975; Branham & Wenzel, 2003; Nakatsu et al ., 2006; Fallon et al ., 2018). The production of light occurs sporadically in insects (Watkins et al ., 2018; Martin et al ., 2019); nevertheless, beetle bioluminescence is well known to both researchers and the general public. Most luminous beetles belong to Elateroidea and we know of ∼2000 firefly species (Lampyridae, Fig.…”

Morphology and life cycle of a new species of Psilocladus Blanchard, 1846 (Coleoptera, Lampyridae, Psilocladinae), the first known bromeliad-inhabiting firefly

“…Here, we describe Psilocladus costae sp. nov. after the study of adults and immature stages, the latter reported for the first time for the monotypic subfamily Psilocladinae sensu Martin et al (2019).…”

Resurrecting the ancient glow of the fireflies

“…Fireflies belong to the beetle family Lampyridae, which is composed of 10 subfamilies containing around 2200 recognized species across the world ( 3 ). Luminescent beetles are additionally found in the families Phengodidae, Rhagophthalmidae, and Elateridae.…”