Phylogeny of the Pantomorus–Naupactus complex based on morphological and molecular data (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

The Pantomorus-Naupactus complex is a Neotropical group of broad-nosed weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) including several parthenogenetic species usually assigned to the genera Naupactus Dejean, Pantomorus Schoenherr, Asynonychus Crotch, Aramigus Horn, Eurymetopus Schoenherr and Graphognathus Buchanan. Sixteen species were studied to test hypotheses on the monophyly of these genera, and on the origin of the parthenogenetic lineages. A matrix of 30 morphological characters and 999 positions of the Cytochrome Oxidase I gene, was analyzed with separate partitions and simultaneously, under equal and implied weights, and with different transversion ⁄ transitions costs. The ILD test indicates that the incongruence between the molecular and morphological data is not significant. Under equal weights, the molecular data resulted in a single tree and morphology in 34 trees; under implied weights morphology gave a different tree, and under TV:TS ‡ 4:1 molecular and combined analyses resulted in the same optimal tree. According to the latter, Naupactus includes Graphognathus, and is thus paraphyletic and basal regarding remaining genera, Pantomorus is polyphyletic and includes Aramigus and Asynonychus, and Eurymetopus is monophyletic. The species in which apomictic parthenogenesis has been verified (Aramigus tessellatus, Asynonychus cervinus and Graphognathus lecuoloma), belong to different clades of the Pantomorus-Naupactus complex, with basal sexual relatives.Ó The Willi Hennig Society 2005.The genera Pantomorus Schoenherr and Naupactus Dejean (Curculionidae: Entiminae: Naupactini) are naturally distributed in the Neotropical Region, having their highest diversity in the tropical and subtropical areas of South America (Lanteri and O' Brien, 1990;Lanteri and Morrone, 1995). Naupactus is usually associated with environments having trees and shrubs, where the adults feed on leaves and other green parts of the plants, whereas Pantomorus species are mostly distributed in steppes and prairies, feeding on grasses (Lanteri et al., 2002a,b). Some of the latter are apomictic parthenogenetic, and have been introduced into other continents besides South America, becoming serious pests of agriculture (Lanteri and Normark, 1995;Hardwick et al., 1997;Normark and Lanteri, 1998;Mander et al., 2003).The majority of the species traditionally classified in Naupactus have well-developed elytral humeri and metathoracic wings, whereas in Pantomorus the humeri are reduced or absent, and the membranous wings are vestigial. Buchanan (1939) coined the term Pantomorus-Naupactus complex (P-N complex) and stated that ''until all species can be critically studied the wing and humeral characters must be used for dividing these two vaguely defined genera''. Morrone (1995), andNormark (1995) proposed that Naupactus is probably paraphyletic and Pantomorus an artificial genus, including several independent lineages associated with similar environments, that might have evolved from different groups of Naupactus.

Wolbachia infection in the tribe Naupactini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): association between thelytokous parthenogenesis and infection status

“…In the tribe Naupactini there is enough evidence to state that this reproductive mode originated independently several times (see Lanteri & Normark, 1995; Scataglini et al ., 2005), although parthenogenetic species may gather in certain clades. Indeed, the majority of the parthenogenetic Naupactini belong to the Pantomorus–Naupactus complex (Scataglini et al ., 2005), and within this group, they occur in certain phylogenetically derived genera such as Aramigus , Atrichonotus and Eurymetopus (Lanteri, 1984; Lanteri & O'Brien, 1990; Lanteri & Díaz, 1994) and certain species groups within genera (eg the Pantomorus auripes species group, Pantomorus viridisquamosu s species group and Naupactus leucoloma species group; Lanteri & Loiácono, 1990; Lanteri, 1995; Lanteri & Marvaldi, 1995). Whereas the basal species of these clades are bisexual and non‐infected by Wolbachia (eg N. tucumanensis within the N. leucoloma species group), the derived ones are parthenogenetic and infected (eg N. leucoloma, N. peregrinus and N. minor ).…”

Diversity of Boll Weevil Populations in South America: A Phylogeographic Approach

“…Nucleotide frequencies over the 279 bp segment showed a strong A+T bias as in other Curculionidae (Langor & Sperling, 1997;Normark & Lanteri, 1998;Sequeira et al, 2000;Scataglini, Lanteri & Confalonieri, 2005), averaging 65.8% among individuals. These biases were much stronger for third-base positions (84.9%) than for first-(59.5%) or second-base positions (53.1%).…”

Revision and phylogeny of the Caribbean weevil genus Apotomoderes Dejean, 1834 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae)

“…Th e insect collection codens are based on Arnett et al (1993), as follows. in Lanteri 1990; though see Scataglini et al 2005 for a later perspective). Th e selection was informed in part by preliminary results from phylogenetic studies of Caribbean entimine weevils (NMF, unpublished), and the cladogram was rooted accordingly with E. quadrivittatus.…”