Phylogenetic and biogeographic reconstruction of Lamiini sensu lato (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) reveals South Gondwanan origin and Panthalasso-Tethyan dispersal pathways

In this study I conduct the phylogenetic and biogeographical analysis of Lamiini sensu novo (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), confirming it as a monophyletic group that is broader than previously assumed and supporting the redefinition of it as a unified tribe – Lamiini sensu novo. The group consist of eight major clades (TAENI, DORCA, ACALO, BATOC, PSACO, ANOLPL, MONOC, LAMIA) and integrates together several traditionally recognized tribes (Dorcaschematini, Batocerini, Petrognathini, Rhodopini, Monochamini, Dorcadionini, Phrissomini). Most of them, including Monochamini, Petrognathini, Dorcadionini, and Phrissomini are polyphyletic, representing multiple lineages with intricate evolutionary history. Phylogeographic analysis suggests a South Gondwanan origin of Lamiini s. l., with its ancestral lineage (LaCA) emerging in the Antarctica–South America suture zone before global expansion through three key migration routes: northeast Pantalassic, Trans-Tethyan, and southwest Pantalassic. Continental drift and climate oscillations influenced this process. Initial diversification (~70–60 Ma) led to vicariant taxa due to continental isolation, with basal clades (TAENI, DORCA, ACALO) distributed across South America, North America, and Australia. Extinction events, including the K–T boundary (~66 Ma) and Cenozoic glaciations, further shaped diversification. The rise of the BATOC and PSACO clades marked the early diversification of crown-group Lamiini s. l. within the island continent of Greater India and the multiple archipelagos of the Trans-Tethyan Arc (~60–50 Ma). The collision of Greater India with Asia (~50–45 Ma) facilitated faunal exchanges, aiding dispersal into Africa and Southeast Asia and driving ANOPL diversification (45–35 Ma). The ACALO clade underwent secondary diversification during the initial collision of Australia and Eurasia (~25–20 Ma), coinciding with the uplift of New Guinea in the Miocene. The LAMIA clade likely originated in East Asia (~25–20 Ma). During the Miocene Climatic Optimum, it expanded into Africa via the Gomphotherium Land Bridge (~16 Ma) and colonized Europe. Later cooling and aridification (~5–11 Ma) drove further diversification, particularly in Eurasian steppes. The MONOC clade also originated in East Asia, adapting to montane coniferous forests during the Miocene cooling. It spread across Eurasia during the Miocene glaciations (~20 Ma, ~14 Ma) and entered North America via Beringia. Expansion into Mesoamerica, northern South America, and the Caribbean likely occurred during the Pleistocene glaciations (~0.01–2 Ma) when climate and fluctuating sea levels enabled dispersal. In summary, the findings refine Lamiini s. l. phylogeny and highlight the impact of geological and climatic events on its evolution. This study clarifies taxonomic ambiguities and provides a framework for future research on diversification and biogeographic patterns.