Molecular phylogeny of Cercopidae (Hemiptera, Cercopoidea)

Abstract

With 175 described genera and 1556 described species, Family Cercopidae is currently divided into two subfamilies: the paraphyletic Cercopinae and the monophyletic Ischnorhininae. This study, with emphasis on the family Cercopidae, is in line with the extensive work of Cryan and Svenson which is the first phylogenetic study testing the monophyly of this family and higher‐level relationships within Cercopoidea. This study includes more representative taxa from Old World regions. The results of the phylogenetic analysis based on DNA nucleotide sequence data (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, histone 3, and cytochrome oxidase I) show that Cercopidae is not monophyletic. Three major lineages are recovered: (1) the lineage Microsargane Fowler, 1897 + Hemitriecphora Lallemand, 1949 which is the sister group to Aphrophoridae + Epipygidae, (2) most of the Old World Cercopidae appear as a monophyletic lineage that can be subdivided into two clades, and (3) the monophyletic New World Ischnorhininae, which is separated from the rest of Cercopidae and basal to the two other lineages. It is proposed that Microsargane and Hemitriecphora should be removed from Cercopidae and placed within Aphrophoridae, and only the monophyletic Old World lineage should be kept as Cercopidae sensu stricto. The two subfamilies Cercopinae and Cosmoscartinae, corresponding respectively to the monophyletic lineage groups 2 and 3, should be kept with minimal changes on the tribal level, and the subfamily Ischnorhininae should be raised to family level Ischnorhinidae stat. nov.

Malagasy spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae), a taxonomic review of genera from Madagascar

“…These disagreements are mainly due to the fact that a very large number of genera and species have been described in a very fragmented way, without standardization of the morphological terms that allow for a clear and precise comparison, as well as a large number of species that are still awaiting description and taxonomic revision. Nevertheless, Crispolon et al (2023) proposed a classification for the family Cercopidae sensu stricto, at least at subfamilial classification and few for tribal classification based on molecular data. As a result, it currently recognizes 108 genera of Cercopidae divided into the two subfamilies Cercopinae (Lallemand, 1949) and Cosmoscartinae (Fennah, 1968).…”

“…Madagascar seems to be an important cradle for the Cercopidae biodiversity where 95% of the species listed on the island are endemic to this territory: 54 species are currently described within 9 genera (Metcalf 1961;Soulier-Perkins 2023): Alluaudensia Lallemand, 1920;Amberana Distant, 1908; Bourgoinrana Soulier-Perkins, 2012, three endemic genera of Madagascar and Literna Stål, 1866;Locris Stål, 1866;Nesaulax Jacobi, 1917;Paramioscarta Lallemand, 1949;Pogonorhinella Schmidt, 1910 andRhinaulax Amyot &Serville, 1843. Cercopidae Leach, 1815 (Hemiptera;Cicadomorpha) are characterized by the insertion of the antennae in a fovea of the cranium at the side of the postclypeus (Kramer 1950) and by features of the head, pronotum and forewings (Lallemand 1912). Cercopidae are represented by more than 1200 species worldwide, distributed within 108 genera with an Old-World distribution (Crispolon et al 2023;Soulier-Perkins 2023). Malagasy cercopids have a specific association with particular habitats and vegetation, which makes them a useful bioindicator to determine the quality of an ecosystem, e.g., Amberana vittipennis (Bergroth, 1894) which was found only in the forest of Tanala, which is now heavily affected by deforestation and soil exploitation (Serpantié & Rakotonirina 2012).…”