Biodiversity Ib
Katoh Lab

Phylogeny of the phytophagous ladybeetles of Epilachnini

Ladybird beetles in the tribe Epilachnini include some notorious crop pests as well as model species studied intensively in various fields of evolutionary biology. From a combined dataset of mitochondrial (ND2) and nuclear (28S) DNA sequences, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Epilachnini from Asia, Africa, America, and the Australian region. In our phylogenetic trees, both Epilachna and Henosepilachna were reciprocally polyphyletic. From reconstructions of biogeographical distribution and host-plant utilization at ancestral nodes, we inferred an African origin for the common ancestor of the species studied, and found the frequency of host shifts to differ greatly between the two major lineages of Epilachnini examined.

Related Publications

• Katoh T, Koji S, Ishida TA, Matsubayashi KW, Kahono S, Kobayashi N, Furukawa K, Viet BT, Vasconcellos-Neto J, Lange CN, Goergen G, Nakano S, Li NN, Yu GY, Katakura H (2014) Phylogeny of Epilachna, Henosepilachna, and some minor genera of phytophagous ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Epilachninae: Epilachnini), with an analysis of ancestral biogeography and host-plant utilization. Zoological Science 31: 820-830.
• Kobayashi N, Ohta Y, Katoh T, Kahono S, Hartini H, Katakura H (2009) Molecular phylogenetic analysis of three groups of Asian epilachnine ladybird beetles recognized by the female internal reproductive organs and modes of sperm transfer Journal of Natural History 43: 1637-1649.