Abstract: This study conducted phylogenomic analyses of the higher-level phylogeny and evolution of mitogenomes and characteristics of Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833 (wolf spiders) utilizing 56 complete mitogenomes. In comparison to analyses based on target-genes, the mitogenomic phylogenies revealed Tricassinae as sister to Hippasinae and positioned Tricassinae + Hippasinae as sister to Lycosinae + Pardosinae. The findings did not support Evippinae as sister to Sosippinae and indicated uncertain phylogenetic relationships among genera (Lycosa, Trochosa, Ovia and Alopecosa) within Lycosinae. The study proposes the validation of Wadicosinae, revisions of three species Pardosa multivaga Simon, 1880, Arctosa ningboensis Yin, Bao & Zhang, 1996 and Alopecosa cinnameopilosa (Schenkel, 1963), and recommends placing Halocosa hatanensis (Urita, Tang & Song, 1993) into Evippinae. Contrary to previous findings, the initial diversification of wolf spiders occurred during the Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum, with rapid diversification during the Miocene, both interpreted as responses to significant climate changes and grassland expansion during these periods. Within Lycosidae, mitochondrial gene rearrangements (seven patterns) were observed only in Piratula of Zoicinae and P. multivaga, primarily resulting from tRNA transportation and loss. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses did not support web building as the ancestral trait of lycosid prey-capture strategies, instead suggesting an evolutionary progression from vagrant hunting to web building and burrowing, with shifts to web building or burrowing occurring independently multiple times.

Key words: wolf spider, Lycosoidea, mitogenome, phylogenetic relationship, prey-capture strategy, late Cenozoic