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Contributions to molecular systematics of water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae, Coleoptera)

Phylogenetic relationships within Hydrophilidae were examined by analyses of separate and combined nuclear and mitochondrial markers (28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 12S rRNA, COI and COII genes). The preferred (Bayesian) tree topology suggests a sister group relationship between Spercheidae and Hydrophilidae, supporting the ‘hydrophilid lineage’ ; Epimetopidae are placed on the base of the ‘helophorid branch’, the monophyly of Sphaeridiinae is highly supported, nested deeply within Hydrophilidae closest to Enochrus, making Hydrophilinae and Acidocerini paraphyletic ; Hydrobius appears as sister taxon to (Hydrochara + Hydrophilus) without a closer relationship to Acidocerini ; the hydrophiloid–histeroid sister group relationship is confirmed. The topology of several taxa remains contradictory, and requires further investigations with a larger taxon sampling and additional molecular markers.

Hydrophiloidea; aquatic beetles; molecular phylogeny; gene partitions; Bayesian MCMC analysis

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