Ultraconserved elements reconstruct the evolution of Chagas disease‐vectoring kissing bugs (Reduviidae: Triatominae)
Troy J. Kieran, Eric R. L. Gordon, Alejandro Zaldívar‐Riverón, Carlos N. Ibarra‐Cerdeña, Travis C. Glenn, Christiane Weirauch
Abstract
Abstract Triatominae are the largest radiation of haematophagous species within the true bugs (Hemiptera) and the sole vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected human disease that affects millions. We used a combined ultraconserved element (UCE) and ribosomal dataset from ethanol‐preserved and pinned specimens in a museomics approach to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among triatomines, including taxa of four of the five tribes with substantial representation of the Old World fauna. We conclude that: (i) Triatominae are monophyletic and Opisthacidius Berg is their predatory sister taxon; (ii) the three large genera ( Rhodnius Stål, Triatoma Laporte and Panstrongylus Berg) are not monophyletic; (iii) Triatomini fall into nine well‐supported clades, only two of which are identical in composition to previously recognized groups; and (iv) the Old World clade is deeply nested within Triatomini. Ancestral character state reconstructions of specific character traits provide insights into the evolutionary history of Triatominae.