Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Three Rhinoceros Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) and Phylogenetic Implications

Nan Song; Renfu Shao; Qing Zhai

doi:10.3390/biology15120953

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Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Three Rhinoceros Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) and Phylogenetic Implications

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Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Three Rhinoceros Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) and Phylogenetic Implications

Nan Song, Renfu Shao and Qing Zhai

Biology, Vol.15(12), pp.1-16

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15120953

PMID: 42345809

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Abstract

Pentodontini

phylogeny

Dynastinae

Cyclocephalini

mitogenome

The subfamily Dynastinae, commonly known as rhinoceros beetles, represents one of the most morphologically striking lineages within the Scarabaeidae. This distinctiveness arises from the elaborate horns present on the head and pronotum of many species, particularly in males. Despite their significant ecological and economic importance, the phylogenetic relationships within this subfamily remain poorly understood, and available mitochondrial genomic data are remarkably scarce, hindering comprehensive phylogenomic analyses. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of three dynastine species for the first time, including the first representatives for the tribes Pentodontini and Cyclocephalini. All three genomes contain the typical set of 37 mitochondrial genes; however, a rearrangement in the tRNA gene cluster was observed. Given that this rearrangement is also present in other lineages within the subfamily Dynastinae but not in any other subfamilies, we propose it as a potential synapomorphy for Dynastinae. Furthermore, all three newly sequenced genomes exhibit relatively large sizes, which may be attributed to their expanded control regions. By integrating these sequences with existing Scarabaeidae mitogenome data, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Dynastinae. Our results showed that the tribes Dynastini and Oryctini were not monophyletic, suggesting the need for a taxonomic revision of these tribes. Our results also support the three-subtribe hypothesis for the tribe Dynastini.

Details

Title: Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Three Rhinoceros Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) and Phylogenetic Implications
Authors: Nan Song - Henan Agricultural University
Renfu Shao (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Qing Zhai (Corresponding Author) - Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences
Publication details: Biology, Vol.15(12), pp.1-16
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.3390/biology15120953
ISSN: 2079-7737
PMID: 42345809
Copyright note: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Data Availability: The newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes have been submitted to the NCBI GenBank database, with the accession numbers of PZ322948-PZ322950.
Grant note: This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province (252300420190), and The Base and Talent Program of Xizang Autonomous Region (XZ202501JD0004).
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991242297202621
Output Type: Journal article

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