Untangling Tenebs: Testing tribal concepts in the Edrotini and related lineages (Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae ) with morphological and phylogenomic data

Relationships among a majority of New World pimeliine tenebrionids, in the tribes Edrotini, Epitragini, Evaniosomini, Thinobatini, and Trilobocarini, remain unclear. Limited taxonomic sampling and use of problematic morphological characters in prior studies recovered ambiguous tribal relationships. Analyses of multi-locus molecular data were similarly limited and unsuccessful in recovering well-supported tribal relationships. The lack of resolution has compounded historical, poorly-articulated tribal concepts, hampering both descriptive and applied research in these groups. During a revision of Edrotini genera, we analyzed morphological and molecular data from targeted enrichment sequencing representing all New World tribes. Based on these results we discuss tests of tribal concepts and need for changes in tribal composition or new concepts.