CONCLUSION
This study sequenced 28 typhlocybine mitogenomes, representing all
currently recognized tribes. We report the first known mitochondrial
gene rearrangement within Typhlocybinae (Alebrini). Despite some
variability among phylogenetic estimates based on different datasets,
the results consistently support the monophyly of Typhlocybinae and four
tribes for which multiple representatives were included. In contrast to
another recent analysis (Lu et al., 2021), Zyginellini was consistently
polyphyletic in our results. Our results support the sister-group
relationship of Typhlocybinae to Mileewinae but this relationship
received only moderate branch support. Ancestral character state
reconstructions (ACSR) suggest that some morphological characters
traditionally considered important for diagnosing tribes are
homoplastic. A key to tribes of Typhlocybinae is provided and new
taxonomic changes are proposed based on the phylogenetic results,
morphology and genetic distances. Although mitogenome sequence data
appear to be broadly informative of relationships at various levels in
the taxonomic hierarchy of Typhlocybinae, further study incorporating a
larger taxon sample and additional morphological and molecular evidence
(e.g., nuclear genes, anchored hybrid loci) should help further clarify
the phylogeny of this highly diverse group.