A New Species of Scymnus (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) from Pakistan with Mitochondrial Genome and Its Phylogenetic Implications †.

Simple Summary: The study presents the new species Scymnus (Pullus) cardi sp. nov. and provides its mitochondrial genome. We describe the distinguishing features of S. (P.) cardi when compared with related species and discuss its habitat and feeding preferences. Additionally, based on the mitochondrial genomic dataset, the phylogeny of Coccinellidae is analyzed. The results confirm the position of the new species, which is nested within the genus Scymnus, and recovered subfamilies as monophyletic groups (such as Coccinellinae and Microweiseinae). These findings contribute to the understanding of Coccinellidae evolution and highlight the need for further taxonomic and genetic studies within the family. In this study, a new species of the subgenus Pullus belonging to the Scymnus genus from Pakistan, Scymnus (Pullus) cardi sp. nov., was described and illustrated, with information on its distribution, host plants, and prey. Additionally, the completed mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the new species using high-throughput sequencing technology was obtained. The genome contains the typical 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, and 22 transfer RNAs) and a non-coding control region, and is arranged in the same order as that of the putative ancestor of beetles. The AT content of the mitogenome is approximately 85.1%, with AT skew and GC skew of 0.05 and −0.43, respectively. The calculated values of relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) determine that the codon UUA (L) has the highest frequency. Furthermore, we explored the phylogenetic relationship among 59 representatives of the Coccinellidae using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods, the results of which strongly support the monophyly of Coccinellinae. The phylogenetic results positioned Scymnus (Pullus) cardi in a well-supported clade with Scymnus (Pullus) loewii and Scymnus (Pullus) rubricaudus within the genus Scymnus and the tribe Scymnini. The mitochondrial sequence of S. (P.) cardi will contribute to the mitochondrial genome database and provide helpful information for the identification and phylogeny of Coccinellidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]