Phylogenetics and Taxonomy of Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

Weevils constitute one of the most species-rich lineages of beetles, encompassing more than 60 000 described taxa across multiple families and subfamilies. Traditional taxonomy of Curculionoidea has relied heavily on adult and larval morphology, with characters of rostrum structure, antennal insertion and genitalia forming the basis of classification. However, morphological convergence and cryptic diversity have long challenged efforts to resolve tribal and subfamilial relationships. Over the past decade, molecular phylogenetic approaches—ranging from single-gene barcodes to multilocus nuclear and mitochondrial datasets—have transformed our understanding of weevil evolution. Dense sampling of mitochondrial genomes has clarified deep splits among major lineages, while phylogenomic studies of hundreds of nuclear loci have resolved contentious relationships within subfamilies such as Curculioninae. These advances have led to the re-establishment of tribes previously synonymised, the transfer of genera to more appropriate clades, and more robust divergence time estimates. Integrating molecular evidence with classical taxonomy also underpins applied outcomes, including the rapid detection of invasive species and the conservation of endemic lineages in fragmented habitats.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Complete mitochondrial genome sequencing of two morphologically nearly indistinguishable camellia weevil species has demonstrated the power of mitogenomic data for species delimitation and divergence dating. Comparison of full mitochondrial gene complements revealed differences in protein-coding gene structure and tRNA pairing, and phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference confirmed the existence of a novel species. Divergence time estimation placed the split between these sibling species in the mid-Miocene, shedding light on the timing of diversification within the tribe Curculionini. This work exemplifies how comprehensive mitochondrial datasets can refine taxonomic boundaries and improve our understanding of evolutionary history in Curculionidae.

Phylogenetics and Taxonomy of Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in phylogenetics and taxonomy of weevils (coleoptera: curculionoidea) across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mitogenome: The complete mitochondrial genome, typically a circular DNA molecule encoding 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs and 22 transfer RNAs.

Phylogenomics: The inference of evolutionary relationships using genome-scale datasets, often comprising hundreds of nuclear loci or complete organellar genomes.

Maximum likelihood: A statistical method for phylogenetic reconstruction that identifies the tree topology most likely to produce the observed sequence data under a specified model of evolution.

Bayesian inference: A probabilistic approach to phylogenetics that estimates the posterior probability of trees given the data and prior information on model parameters.

Monophyly: A group of organisms consisting of an ancestral species and all its descendants, forming a single clade.

Molecular marker: A fragment of DNA whose sequence variation can be used to infer genetic relationships and evolutionary history among organisms.

References

1. The complete mitochondrial genomes of two sibling species of camellia weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and patterns of Curculionini speciation. Scientific Reports (2019).
2. The phylogeny of ceutorhynchine weevils (Ceutorhynchinae, Curculionidae): Mitogenome data improve the resolution of tribal relationships. Systematic Entomology (2024).
3. Phylogenomics illuminates the phylogeny of flower weevils (Curculioninae) and reveals ten independent origins of brood-site pollination mutualism in true weevils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2023).
4. Mitochondrial genome provides species-specific targets for the rapid detection of early invasive populations of Hylurgus ligniperda in China. BMC Genomics (2024).