Host plant associations in Western Palaearctic Longitarsus flea beetles (Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini): a preliminary phylogenetic assessment

Abstract

Longitarsus Latreille (Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) is a very large genus of phytophagous insects, with more than 700 species distributed in all zoogeographical regions. Patterns of host use have been a central topic in phytophagous insect research. In this study a first assessment is provided to test the hypothesis that host-plant association is phylogenetically conserved in Western Palaearctic Longitarsus species. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods were used to infer a phylogeny based on DNA sequence data from two mitochondrial genes from 52 Longitarsus species from the Western Palaearctic. In agreement with the host phylogenetic conservatism hypothesis, a strict association between most of the recovered clades and specific plant families was found, except for species associated with Boraginaceae. Low phylogenetic resolution at deep nodes limited the evaluation of whether closely related Longitarsus clades are associated with the same plant family or to closely related plant families.

Two new species of the Longitarsus violentus group from China (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

“…Most species of Longitarsus are monophagous or oligophagous, feeding on various species of angiosperms, with larvae feeding on roots and adults on leaves of their host plants ( Windig 1991 ). Salvi et al (2019) found a strict association between most of the closely related species and specific plant families, indicating a phylogenetically conserved host-plant association in Longitarsus species.…”

Cryptic, sibling or neither of the two? Integrative species delimitation ofPsylliodesflea beetles with overlapping ranges

“…These nuclear markers were selected based on their high evolutionary rate (Gikonyo, 2021). Primers and PCR protocols used for the amplification of the molecularmarkers have been developed either in this study or in previous studies (Gikonyo, 2021; Salvi, D'Alessandro, et al, 2019; Salvi, Maura, et al, 2019; Simon et al, 1994) as reported in Table S2. Successful amplification was determined by gel electrophoresis, and PCR products were purified and sequenced by an external service (Genewitz, UK).…”

Sharpening the DNA barcoding tool through a posteriori taxonomic validation: The case of Longitarsus flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…The samples treated with the non-invasive method were recovered when the lysis process was completed, and the two parts of the animal were reassembled on an entomological card point. The standard barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene (658 bp) was amplified by PCR using the primers specifically designed for Longitarsus Lon-LCO-F (5'-CTC AGC CAT TTT ACC GAA TAA ATG-3') and LonHCO-R (5'-GGA TTT GGI ATA ATT TCY CATA TTG-3') [53]. Amplification was carried out in a total volume of 25μl, with 12,5μl of BioMix™ 2x (Bioline Ltd, London, UK), 0.5 μl of each primer (10mM), 0.5 μl of BSA, and 1 μL (~40 ng) of DNA template.…”

“…Longitarsus is the most abundant genus among flea beetles, with over 700 species distributed in all zoogeographical regions. Larvae and adult feed respectively on roots and leaves of plants of different angiosperm families, with levels of trophic specialization ranging from strictly monophagous to widely polyphagous [53]. Members of the genus are small-sized, with body length generally 2 to 4 mm.…”