A phylogeny of the subfamilyThiotrichinae(Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae) with a revision of the generic classification based on molecular and morphological analyses

Abstract

AbstractThiotrichinae are a subfamily of Gelechiidae with approximately 180 described species in five genera:CalliproraMeyrick,MacrenchesMeyrick,PalumbinaRondani,PolyhymnoChambers andThiotrichaMeyrick. The subfamily was established based on two species in a recent molecular phylogenetic study of Gelechiidae, but the monophyly of each genus and the phylogenetic relationships among the genera have not been tested. To address these questions, we performed the first phylogenetic analyses based on seven molecular markers (COI, EF‐1α, GAPDH, RpS5, CAD, Wg and MDH) and 95 morphological characters for 47 ingroup and 3 outgroup taxa. Each dataset was analysed separately and together using maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony methods. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses produced nearly identical tree topologies for ingroup relationships, but the parsimony analysis yielded different results for some lineages. In all our analyses, Thiotrichinae formed a strongly supported monophyletic group with two other gelechiid genera,CnaphostolaMeyrick (Gelechiinae) andSemnostomaMeyrick (Apatetrinae). The genusMacrencheswas recognized as the sister‐group to all other species in this clade.Polyhymno + Calliprorawere found to be sister to all remaining ingroup taxa. The species‐rich groupThiotrichawas non‐monophyletic, and it clustered withPalumbina,CnaphostolaandSemnostoma. The type species ofThiotrichawas included in a monophyletic clade with a majority of congeneric species in the parsimony analyses, but the clade was divided into two groups in the model‐based results. The generic placement of two speciesThiotricha dissobolaMeyrick andT. pyrphoraMeyrick was not confirmed in this study and they were placed asincertae sedis. The monophyly ofPalumbinawas strongly supported by both molecular data and morphological evidence. Based on genetic and morphological affinities and examination of the type specimens, four genera are synonymized withThiotricha:BlastovalvaJansesyn.n.,Cnaphostolasyn.n.,HierangelaMeyricksyn.n.andSemnostomasyn.n.We propose two new genera for newly recognized two sub‐clades:Pulchralagen.n.andTenupalpagen.n., and 15 new combinations are made:Thiotricha adamantina(Meyrick)comb.n.,T. exalbida(Omelko & Omelko)comb.n.,Tenupalpa angustella(Omelko)comb.n.,T. biformis(Omelko)comb.n.,T. flavitermina(Kyaw, Yagi & Hirowatari)comb.n.,T. glenias(Meyrick)comb.n.,T. nephodesma(Meyrick)comb.n.,T. venustalis(Omelko)comb.n.,Pulchrala clidias(Meyrick)comb.n.,P. chujaensis(Park)comb.n.,P. elaeocarpiella(Kyaw, Yagi & Hirowatari)comb.n.,P. epiclista(Meyrick)comb.n.,P. melanacma(Bradley)comb.n.,P. panglycera(Turner)comb.n., andP. saulotis(Meyrick)comb.n.Revised generic concepts are provided in the study.This published work has been registered on ZooBank,http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0E3C0EB5‐503C‐4ADC‐BE87‐A203230DE6CB.