Molecular phylogeny of the long-horned beetles (family: Cerambycidae)

The family Cerambycidae (long horned beetles) is an important and diverse group of phytophagous insects. Some of these beetles are serious pests of the timber industry, whereas many others fill important roles in balanced ecosystems as deadwood decomposers, pollinators, and food sources. We sequenced DNA for part of the cytochrome oxidase I gene from Indiana specimens of the subfamilies Lepturinae, Cerambycinae and Lamiinae, and constructed a phylogenetic tree based on our DNA data. The three subfamilies of the Cerambycidae were monophyletic on the phylogenetic tree, with good bootstrap support at the nodes where the subfamilies branched from each other.