We investigate the role of ecological di¡erentiation in cladogenesis of a monophyletic group of North American tiger beetles, the subgenus Ellipsoptera (genus: Cicindela), by reconstructing their species-level phylogeny from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Observed reconstructions of ecological characters on the phylogeny are compared to those expected under simple null models of no association with cladogenesis. We ¢nd no evidence that ecological disparity is associated with either species coexistence, speciation or long-term persistence and/or radiation of lineages. Ecomorphological traits have evolved in response to di¡erences in habitat occupied by species, but without detectable relationship with cladogenesis.
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