Data from: Revised classification and evolution of leucotrichiine microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) based on morphological and molecular data

Hydroptilidae constitute the most diverse caddisfly family, with over 2000
species known from every habitable continent. Leucotrichiinae are
exclusively New World microcaddisflies, currently including over 200
species and 17 genera. Phylogenetic analyses of Leucotrichiinae
relationships based on 114 morphological characters and 2451 molecular
characters from DNA sequences were conducted. DNA sequences analysed were
from one mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase I (653 bp), and four
nuclear genes, carbamoylphosphate synthase (802 bp), elongation factor 1α
(352 bp), histone 3 (308 bp) and 28S rDNA (336 bp). The morphological
matrix included 94 taxa (with representatives of all included genera) and
the molecular matrix included 62 taxa. Individual and combined datasets
were analysed under parsimony and Bayesian inference. In addition, a
relaxed molecular clock divergence time estimate was conducted to
determine the age of the subfamily and major lineages. All Bayesian
inference analyses strongly suggest a monophyletic Leucotrichiinae, which
initially diverged at approximately 124 Ma into two monophyletic groups of
genera. These groups are herein elevated to tribal status, Alisotrichiini
trib.n. and Leucotrichiini Flint sensu n. Several genera of Leucotrichiini
were not recovered as monophyletic clades and some nomenclatural changes
are proposed to reflect their phylogenetic history. These include the
synonymy of Abtrichia with Peltopsyche; transfer of Betrichia hamulifera
to Costatrichia; transfer of Betrichia alibrachia and Costatrichia falsa
to Leucotrichia; and transfer of Costatrichia fluminensis to
Acostatrichia. Additionally, Tupiniquintrichia gen.n. is described to
include Peltopsyche maclachlani and Leucotrichia procera. According to our
results, crown diversifications of both Alisotrichiini trib.n. (∼80 Ma)
and Leucotrichiini sensu n. (∼103 Ma) occurred after complete separation
of South America from Africa. Current distributions of most leucotrichiine
genera are probably a result of migration from South America towards the
north using the proto-Caribbean archipelago (100 to 49 Ma).