Review of morphological and molecular evidence on the phylogeny of Curculionoidea

LYAL, C. H. C.; MARVALDI, A. E.; BARCLAY, M.; ANDERSON, R. S.; OBERPRIELER, R. G.; VOGLER, A. P.

Brisbane, Australia

Congreso; XXII International Congress of Entomology; 2004

The contribution of three main sources of evidence to the higher phylogeny of the weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) is reviewed. The data sets come from morphology of both adult and larval stages and from nucleotide sequences of 18S rDNA.  The availability of sequence data for a larger taxon sample than hitherto available, as well as novel morphological information, allows a re-evaluation of weevil relationships.  Results of the combined analysis corroborate recognition of the seven major (family) lineages in the superfamily.  Additional larval and molecular synapomorphies contribute to a clearer delimitation of the two largest families, Brentidae and Curculionidae.  The microcerines and ithycerines are not curculionids but brentids, and representatives of the ocladiines, brachycerines, erirhinines and raymondionymines occupy a close and basal position within the Curculionidae s. l.  A preliminary natural classification of the Curculionidae into subfamilies is proposed, but their interrelationships are weakly supported and still obscure or even ambiguous in certain areas of the phylogeny.