Mitogenomics of the Olive Seed Weevil, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall and Implications for Its Phylogenetic Position in Curculionidae

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Anchonocranus oleae is a southern African weevil that feeds on the seeds of the African Wild Olive, a close relative of the European cultivated olive tree. The species is known to occur in the Western Cape of South Africa, the main region of olive production in Southern Africa. We generated reference DNA barcodes and the complete mitogenome of A. oleae as part of our ongoing genetic cataloguing of insects associated with wild and cultivated olives in South Africa. The phylogenetic position of A. oleae in the family Curculionidae was inferred to be in the Curculioninae, Conoderinae, Cossoninae, Molytinae, and Scolytinae (CCCMS) clade but could not be precisely determined due to the paucity of genetic data for adequate taxonomic context, highlighting the need for further coverage of related tribes and genera. Nevertheless, the data generated in this study contribute to the enrichment of baseline information on olive-associated insects, in general, and on the genus Anchonocranus, in particular. ABSTRACT: Anchonocranus oleae Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a seed-feeding weevil native to southern Africa; its larvae are known to develop in the fruits of the African Wild Olive and, more rarely, cultivated olives. The species has been mainly found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, but it has remained in relative obscurity because it does not seem to represent a current threat to commercial olive production. As part of an ongoing effort to produce baseline genetic data for olive-associated entomofauna in South Africa, we generated reference DNA barcodes for A. oleae collected from wild and cultivated olives and sequenced its mitogenome for assessment of the phylogenetic position of the species in the family Curculionidae. The mitochondrial phylogeny estimate indicated that A. oleae shares a common ancestor with Elaidobius (tribe Derelomini), but a definite and close relationship to this tribe and the precise tribal placement of A. oleae in the subfamily Curculioninae could not be inferred due to the lack of representative mitogenomes of other relevant curculionine tribes and genera. This study will assist future work on the DNA-based species identification, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Anchonocranus and related taxa.