Chapter Two - Evolution of Plant–Insect Interactions: Insights From Macroevolutionary Approaches in Plants and Herbivorous Insects

Abstract In this study, we review recent works in the phylogenetic investigations of plant–insect interactions. Thanks to the development of novel methodological approaches and the ever-increasing availability of informative molecular markers, it is indeed now possible to test more and more complex evolutionary scenarios. Here, we are limiting our review to studies on herbivorous insects (excluding work on the evolution of pollinating insects), and we provide an overview of the variety of approaches employed to answer fundamental questions in plant/insect evolution. More specifically, our review addresses studies that have focused on the following: (1) reconstructing the evolutionary history of the associations with plants; (2) inferring the diversification dynamics of herbivorous insects and (3) studying the biogeographic history of herbivorous insects. Finally, we attempt to decipher whether general trends in the evolution of plant–insect interactions have emerged from these studies and highlight the most promising perspectives in this field.