Phylogeographic Pattern of the Assassin Bug <i>Sycanus bifidus</i> Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes and Nuclear Genes
Suyi Chen,
Zhenyong Du,
Ping Zhao,
Xuan Wang,
Yunfei Wu,
Hu Li,
Wanzhi Cai
Affiliations
Suyi Chen
Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Zhenyong Du
Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Ping Zhao
Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf (Ministry of Education) and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, China
Xuan Wang
Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yunfei Wu
College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou 239000, China
Hu Li
Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Wanzhi Cai
Department of Entomology, MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
The assassin bug Sycanus bifidus has a wide distribution across southern China. This study explored its distribution and evolution by analyzing mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal RNA genes, revealing how Pleistocene climate and geological changes shaped its phylogeography. We identified two main clades, A and B, that diverged in the Middle Pleistocene. Hainan Island’s populations form a unique group within Clade A, suggesting that the Qiongzhou Strait served as a dispersal corridor during glaciation. Rising sea levels likely separated the Hainan population afterward. Ecological niche modeling showed that both populations have been viable since the last interglacial period, with demographic analyses indicating possible expansions during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, driven by favorable climates. This study highlights the significant effects of Pleistocene sea-level and climatic changes on the distribution and evolution of S. bifidus in China.
