A molecular phylogeny of the Tenebrionoidea (Cucujiformes)

The Tenebrionoidea are a morphologically and ecologically diverse lineage of over 35,000 species of beetles. We report recent phylogenetic findings on the relationships within this superfamily. Three nuclear genes and one ribosomal gene were sampled across 120 taxa representing 28 of the 29 currently recognized families in the Tenebrionoidea. Diverse lineages of Cucujiformes were also sampled to examine the superfamily’s monophyly. Likelihood analyses supports the monophyly of the Tenebrionoidea (with the inclusion of the Lymexylidae) and also suggest the need for redefining the limits of some of the families (e.g. Tenebrionidae). We also discuss the major clades recovered by our datasets and compare these to existing phylogenetics hypotheses for the group.