Progress in reconstructing the higher-level phylogeny of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) using phylogenomic data

Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles) is one of the largest families of organisms with approximately 35,000 described extant species. Their larvae play a major role in the decomposition of dead and dying wood, but their feeding activity can cause economically significant damage to native and production forests. Despite their taxonomic diversity and ecological and economic importance, there have been few molecular phylogenetic studies of Cerambycidae, and relationships among its subfamilies remain uncertain. We are reconstructing the phylogeny of Cerambycidae sensu lato (including the families Cerambycidae sensu stricto, Disteniidae, Oxypeltidae, and Vesperidae) through analyses of phylogenomic data obtained via anchored hybrid enrichment. Using this approach, we have obtained DNA sequences from hundreds of 1:1 orthologous nuclear loci for 41 exemplar Cerambycidae, near relatives, and outgroups. The resulting phylogenetic trees reveal new insights into the higher-level relationships of longhorned beetles, including both some surprises and some relationships previously predicted based on morphology. Our work also provides important insights into the analysis and interpretation of anchored phylogenomic data – which remain relatively new to the field of beetle molecular systematics. We are now further analyzing these data with the goal of shedding new light on the phylogeny and evolution of this remarkably diverse and ecologically-significant group of beetles.