Molecular Identification of Immature Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae and Disteniidae) From South Korea

The morphology of larval and pupal stages of longhorn beetles is of critical importance in both evolutionary and applied contexts, often providing diagnostic characters that are inaccessible in adults. Nevertheless, the systematic utility of immature‐stage morphology has been limited by challenges in accurate species‐level identification, largely due to insufficient comparative material and the lack of standardized identification frameworks. In this study, we analyzed a total of 1057 cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences, including 520 newly generated sequences (161 larvae, 109 pupae, and 250 adults) and 537 publicly available sequences retrieved from GenBank. Of the 270 preliminarily identified immature specimens, 143 (53.0%) were confirmed, 64 (23.7%) were newly identified to the species level, and 18 (6.7%) were reidentified after misidentification. The remaining 45 specimens (16.7%) remained unidentified at the species level. Based on these results, we discuss the microstructural characteristics of immature stages, present preliminary cases of morphological misidentification, and demonstrate how molecularly validated immature morphology can clarify the systematic placement of problematic taxa. The barcode data generated in this study provide a robust foundation for an integrated DNA barcode library and highlight the essential role of accurately identified immature stages in longhorn beetle systematics.