Phylogenetic analysis of Amphidorini Leconte: Understanding the evolution of the desert stink beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Darkling beetles belonging to the New World tribe Amphidorini LeConte, whose largest genus is Eleodes Eschscholtz, are known as the Desert Stink Beetles. This lineage of flightless tenebrionids exhibits high species diversity across the arid regions of western North America. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the tribe was performed using 6 genes from over 100 OTUs.  Preliminary transcriptomic analyses are presented to support the conclusions from the molecular phylogeny.  A monophyletic North American lineage is recovered, with the genus Eleodes Eschscholtz found as paraphyletic with respect to the genera Trogloderus LeConte and Lariversius Blaisdell. The South American genus Nycterinus Eschscholtz, the only amphidorine genus not from North America, is found to be distantly related to the rest of the tribe, and belonging near the Scaurini Billberg. Biogeography, evolutionary patterns, and updated generic concepts are discussed.