Phylogenetic Relationships of Plant Bugs Based on Mitochondrial Genomes (Heteroptera: Miridae)

TL;DR

This study uses mitochondrial genomes to clarify the evolutionary relationships of plant bugs, revealing new insights into their classification.

Contribution

The study is the first to use mitochondrial genomes to resolve the phylogeny of Miridae, a highly diverse family of true bugs.

Findings

Bryocorinae is paraphyletic and represents stem groups of Miridae.

The clade ((Deraeocorinae + Mirinae) + (Orthotylinae + Phylinae)) is consistently monophyletic.

New mitochondrial genomes were sequenced for four Miridae genera and species.

Abstract

Miridae is the most species‐rich family of true bugs and plays an important role in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. However, contemporary controversies surrounding their phylogenetic relationships and subfamily classification still lack consensus. This study employs molecular systematics to resolve Miridae phylogeny, utilizing mitochondrial genomes from 42 species spanning 39 genera across six of the seven currently recognized subfamilies. Four outgroup species from Tingidae (2 species) and Thaumastocoridae (2 species) were also included in the analyses. Our results demonstrate that: (1) Bryocorinae is paraphyletic as the stem groups of Miridae; and (2) the clade ((Deraeocorinae + Mirinae) + (Orthotylinae + Phylinae)) is consistently and strongly supported as a monophyletic group across all datasets and analytical methods. We report newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes based on high‐throughput sequencing platforms for four Miridae genera and species: Chlamydatus sp. (Phylinae),
Deraeocoris punctulatus
(Deraeocorinae), Scirtetellus sp. (Orthotylinae), and Prodromus clypeatus (Bryocorinae). These findings provide a progressive phylogenetic framework with new significance for the future phylogenetic improvement and taxonomic revision of Miridae.

This study for the first time employs mitochondrial genomes to resolve Miridae phylogeny, with 42 species spanning 39 genera across six of the seven currently recognized subfamilies. Bryocorinae is paraphyletic as the stem groups of Miridae. These findings provide a progressive phylogenetic framework with new significance for the future phylogenetic improvement and taxonomic revision of Miridae, which is the most species‐rich family of true bugs and plays an important role in both natural and agricultural ecosystems.

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