Systematics, divergence time, biogeography, and trait evolution of the dragonfly genus Erythemis Hagen, 1861 (Anisoptera: Odonata) 00

Abstract

The dragonfly genus Erythemis Hagen, 1861, in the hyper-diverse family Libellulidae Leach, 1815, contains ten species that are found across the Americas. Species relationships have never been resolved for this group, and doing so will provide a framework to understand the considerable interspecific variation present in traits, including genital morphology, abdomen shape, and flight activity. Here, we present the most comprehensively sampled phylogenetic reconstruction for Erythemis based on anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) data. Using an Erythemis fossil as calibration, we estimated the divergence time of the genus to be about 25 million years ago, around the transition between the Oligocene and Miocene. A reconstruction of the ancestral range of the genus revealed a likely origin in central and South America, with subsequent dispersal into the Caribbean. We also performed a likelihood-based ancestral character state reconstruction to test morphological synapomorphies for the group. Interspecific variation in male genitalia morphology stood out, with different penis characters evolving separately. We also found notable variation in abdomen shape and size among species. Our phylogeny provides a basis for understanding evolutionary relationships of all ten Erythemis species, as well as the origins and timing of character innovations, set in their biogeographical context and with respect to the divergence time of the group.

Keywords: Ancestral character state reconstruction, insects, molecular phylogenetics, mor­phology, taxonomy

Issue section: Original Article