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Dryad

Phylogenomics resolves the higher-level phylogeny of herbivorous eriophyoid mites (Acariformes: Eriophyoidea)

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Mar 01, 2023 version files 9.65 MB
Jan 12, 2024 version files 11.81 MB

Abstract

Eriophyoid mites (Eriophyoidea) are among the largest groups in the Acari; their higher-level phylogeny, however, remains unresolved due to the availability of limited number of morphological characters, some of which are suspected as homoplasy. Nevertheless, the eriophyoid mites sequenced to date showed highly variable mitochondrial (mt) gene orders, which could potentially be useful for resolving the higher-level phylogenetic relationships. Here, we sequenced and compared the complete mt genomes of 153 eriophyoid mite species, which showed 54 patterns of rearranged mt gene orders relative to that of the hypothetical ancestor of arthropods. The shared derived mt gene clusters support the monophyly of eriophyoid mites (Eriophyoidea) as a whole and the monophylies of six clades within the Eriophyoidea. These monophyletic groups and their relationships were largely supported in the phylogenetic trees inferred from mt genome sequences as well. Our molecular dating results showed that the Eriophyoidea originated in the Triassic and diversified in the Cretaceous, coinciding with the diversification of angiosperms. This study demonstrates the use of derived mt gene clusters in unveiling the higher-level phylogeny of eriophyoid mites, and underlines the origin of these mites and their co-diversification with angiosperms.