Mitogenomic phylogeny reconstruction and revised evolutionary framework for the subfamily Eriosomatinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The subfamily Eriosomatinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) includes morphologically and ecologically diverse aphid species characterized by complex heteroecious life cycles and gall-inducing behavior. Despite extensive past morphological and molecular research, the phylogenetic relationships among its three tribes, Eriosomatini, Pemphigini, and Fordini, remain unresolved, and the monophyly of Eriosomatinae has been repeatedly challenged. This study aimed to generate complete mitogenomes from multiple Eriosomatinae taxa representing all three tribes, and reassess their phylogeny. We generated 11 new mitochondrial genomes of 11 eriosomatine species, and combined them with 20 previously available eriosomatine mitogenomes. Thus, the ingroup dataset included 31 eriosomatine mitogenome sequences representing 30 species. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and maximum parsimony analyses all supported the non-monophyly of Eriosomatinae sensu lato and recovered Eriosomatini, Pemphigini, and Fordini as distinct monophyletic lineages. However, the relationships among these lineages differed among analytical methods, particularly in the closer association between Pemphigini and Fordini recovered in the BI topology. Divergence time estimates based on fossil-calibrated relaxed clock models suggest that the major lineages corresponding to Eriosomatini, Pemphigini, and Fordini diverged during the Cretaceous, and these estimates were interpreted cautiously in relation to the evolutionary history of their associated host plants. Our results support the reconsideration of the traditional circumscription of Eriosomatinae sensu lato and suggest that Eriosomatini, Pemphigini, and Fordini may represent distinct evolutionary lineages requiring further evaluation within an integrative taxonomic framework. This study provides one of the most taxonomically comprehensive mitogenomic frameworks currently available for Eriosomatinae and offers critical insights into aphid diversification, host-plant associations, and the evolutionary history of gall-inducing lineages.