Evolution of the beetle suborder Adephaga based on exon-capture phylogenomics

The evolutionary pattern leading to the remarkable ecological versatility of Adephaga is still insufficiently understood. The terrestrial Carabidae are the largest family of Adephaga (ca. 38,000 spp.). Eight of the ten families are aquatic or semi-aquatic (hygropetric habitats), with an impressive diversity in their morphology and life styles, including remarkably different larval habits (e.g., feeding and breathing) and swimming adaptations (from lacking completely to extremely efficient). Phylogenetic investigations based on molecular data are still unsatisfying and no convincing phylogeny covering all major lineages with a sufficient taxonomic sampling within the species-rich Carabidae and Dytiscidae exists. The project aims to address the evolution of the group (with a main focus on the aquatic families), including taxonomically comprehensive sampling of the suborder and to provide the tools for routine incorporation of existing tissues in phylogenomic analyses. Target DNA enrichment of phylogenetically informative coding regions was based on a novel DNA probe set for exon-capture phylogenomics. This DNA probe set was tailored specifically for investigating the evolution of adephagan beetles.