Phylogenetic Relationships of Iberian Dung Beetles Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae): Insights on the Evolution of Nesting Behavior
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J Mol Evol +2002) 55:116±126 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-002-2314-4 Phylogenetic Relationships of Iberian Dung Beetles Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae): Insights on the Evolution of Nesting Behavior Soraya Villalba,Jorge M. Lobo,Fermõ  n Martõ n-Piera,* Rafael Zardoya Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Jose Gutie rrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain Received: 22 October 2001 / Accepted: 25 January 2002 Abstract. A phylogeny of the main lineages of dung Introduction beetles +Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) from the Iberian Peninsula was based on partial nucleotide sequences The Scarabaeinae +dung beetles) are a worldwide- +about 1221 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome distributed, highly successful subfamily of Coleoptera oxidase I and II genes of 33 taxa. Our phylogenetic with nearly 5000 species grouped in 234 genera analyses con®rmed the validity and composition of +Hanski and Cambefort 1991). Ever since Linnaeus' most of the recognized tribes within the subfamily. Systema Naturae, dung beetles have received wide Interestingly, the Onitini showed an evolutionary rate attention from entomologists because of their singu- signi®cantly higher than that of the other tribes. The lar adaptations in exploiting vertebrate dung pads molecular phylogeny supports a sister-group rela- +e.g., Fabre 1897, 1899; Heymons and von Lengerken tionship of the tribes Onitini and Oniticellini + On- 1922; Burmeister 1930; Heymons 1930; Prasse 1957; thophagini. A close relationship of Scarabaeini, Rommel, 1961; Balthasar 1963; Halter and Matth- Gymnopleurini, and Sisyphini is also suggested but ews 1966; Halter and Edmonds 1982). Scarabaeids lacks bootstrap support. Surprisingly, the Coprini, are one of the best-studied groups of beetles in terms which had always been related to the Oniticellini and of taxonomy +Janssens 1949; Balthasar 1963; Iablo- Onthophagini, were placed closer to the Scarabaeini, kov-Khnzorian 1977; Zunino 1984; Browne and Gymnopleurini, and Sisyphini. The inferred molecu- Scholtz 1998; for a review see Martõ n-Piera 2000), lar phylogeny was used to assess the main evolu- ecology +Hanski and Cambefort 1991), natural his- tionary trends of nesting behavior. Our results tory +Halter and Matthews 1966), and behavior suggest tentative single origins for both the tunneling +Halter and Edmonds 1982). and the rolling behaviors, and the possibility that the Several recent and comprehensive studies have rolling behavior could have been lost secondarily in examined adult and larval morphological traits to Copris. infer phylogenetic relationships within the superfam- ily Scarabaeoidea +Howden 1982; Browne and Scholtz Key words: Scarabaeinae Ð Nesting behavior Ð 1995, 1999) and within the family Scarabaeidae Iberian beetles Ð Onthophagini +Browne and Scholtz 1998). Twenty-three synapo- morphic characters of the hindwing articulation and wing base de®ned the monophyly of the Scarabaeidae +Browne and Scholtz 1999). Within scarabaeids, there were 44 synapomorphies that closely related the Scarabaeinae to the Aphodiinae, Aulonocnemis,and *Deceased June 19, 2001 the Aegialiinae +Browne and Scholtz 1998). The Correspondence to: Rafael Zardoya; email: [email protected] monophyly of the Scarabaeinae was supported by 12 117 Fig. 1. Phylogenetic relationships +A) within the subfamily Scarabaeinae +Zunino 1984) and +B) within the tribe Onthophagini +Martõ n- Piera 2000) based on morphological data. synapomorphies +Browne and Scholtz 1998). How- So far, the only study which has focused on the ever, these studies did not analyze the phylogenetic systematics of the subfamily Scarabaeinae was based relationships within the subfamily Scarabaeinae. on the comparative analysis of the male and female There is still a lack of agreement regarding the genitalia +Fig. 1A) +Zunino 1984). The recovered taxonomic status of the Scarabaeinae. Janssens +1949) phylogeny did not support previous taxonomic clas- subdivided the group into six tribes: Coprini +includ- si®cations of the subfamily +Janssens 1949; Balthasar ing Dichotomiina, Phanaeina, and Ennearabdina), 1963). In that study, the monophyly of the tribes On- Eurysternini, Oniticellini, Onitini, Onthophagini, and itini, Coprini, and Dichotomiini was questioned Scarabaeini +including Eucraniina, Canthoniina, +Zunino 1984). Surprisingly, the tribes Onitini and Gymnopleurina, Scarabaeina, and Sisyphina). How- Phanaeini were placed deep within the Scarabaeinae ever, Balthasar +1963) ranked the group as a family +sensu Balthasar 1963) +Fig. 1A). Within the Coprinae comprising two subfamilies: Coprinae and Scara- +sensu Balthasar 1963), a sister-group relationship of baeinae. The former subfamily included the tribes Oniticellini and Onthophagini was suggested +Zunino Coprini, Dichotomini, Phanaeini, Oniticellini, Oni- 1984) +Fig. 1A). Other studies focused on the phylo- tini, and Onthophagini, whereas the latter subfamily genetic relationships within some of the tribes further included the tribes Eucraniini, Eurysternini, Cantho- con®rmed the nonmonophyly of Coprini and Dichot- nini, Gymnopleurini, Scarabaeini, and Sisyphini. omini +Montreuil 1998). Moreover, some studies based Both classi®cations have been followed by dierent on larval and adult characters focused on the phylo- authors until the present. For instance, the studies on genetic relationships within the most speciose tribe, the the breeding and nesting behavior of dung beetles by Onthophagini +Zunino 1979; Lumaret and Kim 1989; Halter and Edmonds +1982) used Janssens' taxono- Palestrini 1985; Martõ n-Piera 1986, 2000; Martõ n-Piera my, whereas the comprehensive ecological study of and Zunino 1983, 1986) +Fig. 1B). The most recent and dung beetles by Hanski and Cambefort +1991) fol- complete phylogeny of the Onthophagini was based on lowed Balthasar's views. In this study, we accept the 12 external and 12 internal morphological traits subfamily status of Scarabaeinae +e.g., Brown and +Martõ n-Piera 2000). In that study, a basal position of Scholtz 1998) and follow Balthasar's +1963) classi®- the genera Caccobius and Euonthophagus, as well as of cation of tribes. Regardless of the taxonomic debate, some of the Onthophagus subgenera +Onthophagus, it is generally assumed that the tribes re¯ect natural Parentius, Eremonthophagus , and Trichonthophagus) groups +based on the general evolutionary trends de- was suggested +Fig. 1B). In addition, two groups +vacca tected in the subfamily) that lack a formal systematic and ovatus) were proposed within the more derived de®nition based on modern phylogenetic methods. Onthophagus subgenus Palaeonthophagus +Fig. 1B). Hence, despite the wealth of biological information The ability of the Scarabaeinae to eat dung +co- accumulated, disagreement among workers remains, prophagia) from large herbivorous mammals is the and a robust phylogeny of the subfamily awaits. key to their evolutionary success and involved nu- 118 Fig. 2. Patterns of nesting behavior in dung beetles. A Tunneling: Members of the tribes Coprini, Dichotomini, Phanae- ini, Oniticellini, Onitini, and Onthopha- gini dig nests in the soil that are ®lled with dung, out of which the brood balls are made. B Rolling: Members of the tribes Eucraniini, Eurysternini, Canthonini, Gymnopleurini, Scarabaeini, and Sisy- phini prepare a ball of dung which is transported and buried away from the food source. merous morphological and behavioral adaptations. Table 1. World Scarabaeinae tribes and number of known genera This capacity to exploit excrements, which was al- +gen) and species +spe) in dierent regions ready present in the Upper Cretaceous +Scholtz and Chown 1995; Chin and Gill 1996), is shared with the Iberian World Palaearctic Europe Peninsula related scarabaeid subfamily Aphodiinae and the scarabaeid family Geotrupidae. However, the latter Tribe Gen Spe Gen Spe Gen Spe Gen Spea two groups exhibit relatively simple behaviors asso- Canthonini 93 771 1 3 0 0 0 0 ciated with the exploitation of dung compared with Coprini 10 374 2 7 2 5 1 2 +2) the Scarabaeinae. The larvae of the Aphodiinae eat Dichotomiini 30 722 0 0 0 0 0 0 and live generally inside dung directly beneath the Eucraniini 4 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 surface of the soil +but see Barbero and Palestrini Eurysternini 1 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 1995; Gittings and Giller 1997), whereas the Geo- Gymnopleurini 4 104 1 6 1 5 1 3 +2) Oniticellini 14 165 3 14 2 4 1 3 +2) trupidae simply pack larval food into the end of a Onthophagini 35 2213 3 259 3 68 3 30 +19) burrow. In contrast, the Scarabaeinae have evolved a Onitini 18 195 3 21 3 14 3 6 +5) wide array of feeding and nesting behaviors +Halter Phanaeini 12 148 0 0 0 0 0 0 and Matthews 1966; Halter and Edmonds 1982; Scarabaeini 11 145 3 24 1 12 1 7 +2) Cambefort and Hanski 1991). There are two essential Sisyphini 3 58 1 1 1 1 1 1 +1) Total 235 4940 17 335 13 109 11 52 +33) ways of processing the excrement within the Scara- baeinae: tunneling and rolling behaviors +Fig. 2). aThe number of Iberian species analyzed is given in parentheses. The tribes Coprini, Dichotomini, Phanaeini, Oni- Data from Hanski and Cambefort +1991), Baraud +1992), and Martõ n-Piera +2000). ticellini, Onitini, and Onthophagini [i.e., the subfamily Coprinae +sensu Balthasar 1963)] exhibit tunneling behavior, in which a rather sophisticated nest is dug in tributed decisively to the actual richness of Iberian advance, then ®lled with dung, out of which the brood fauna +Hewitt 1999). There is a total of 11 genera balls are made. The tribes Eucraniini, Eurysternini, +65% of all palearctic genera) and 52 species