Songs, genetics, and morphology: revealing the taxonomic units in the EuropeanCicadetta cerdaniensiscicada group, with a description of new taxa (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

Abstract

Recent acoustic studies have revealed that Cicadetta montana (Scopoli, 1772), which was once thought to be a single widespread Palaearctic cicada species, is actually a complex of many taxa. Although some song patterns are very distinct, others comprise groups of closely related species, as in the case of Cicadetta cerdaniensis Puissant & Boulard, 2000, Cicadetta cantilatrix Sueur & Puissant, 2007, and Cicadetta anapaistica Hertach, 2011. Seven spatially or behaviourally isolated metapopulations belonging to this song group from Italy and Switzerland were detected and investigated using acoustic, molecular, and morphological methods. Taxonomic decisions in this group are challenging because of a lack of truly diagnostic morphological characters, variously coloured morphs, qualitatively intermediate song patterns in contact zones, and strong temperature dependence of song‐duration characters. Molecular genetic studies suggest rapid speciation resulting in incomplete lineage sorting and introgression. It is only by using multiple sources of data that species can be delimited. The new species Cicadetta sibillae sp. nov. and the new subspecies Cicadetta anapaistica lucana ssp. nov. were described using the microstructure of the male calling songs. Cicadetta sibillae sp. nov. occurs from southern Switzerland to central Italy, and is the most abundant cicada in the Northern Apennine. Cicadetta anapaistica lucana ssp. nov. is endemic to a small southern Italian distribution range, and seems to be threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. There is strong evidence that current distribution patterns and phylogenetic relationships of the Cicadetta cerdaniensis group are linked to speciation events in Pleistocene glacial refugia in the Italian, Iberian, and Balkan peninsulas. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London

Complex within a Complex: Integrative Taxonomy Reveals Hidden Diversity in Cicadetta brevipennis (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) and Unexpected Relationships with a Song Divergent Relative

“…From previous studies, we know that described species in this complex are morphologically almost indistinguishable and molecularly interdigitated. Behaviour, represented by acoustic song patterns, is similar in cases with distinct mitochondrial haplotypes; but song patterns are clearly different in some taxa that possess closely related or identical haplotypes [2,3]. In this complicated system, we attempt to revise the taxonomy in light of modern species concepts and address the question of how such a strange phylogenetic pattern might have evolved.…”

“…As recently as the turn of the millennium [28,35,36], it has been successively shown to comprise a species complex of at least 13 morphologically similar but acoustically distinct species and two subspecies [2,37]. The faint high frequency calling songs possess a remarkable richness and complexity in rhythms.…”

“…In addition to having different mitochondrial haplotypes, it is distinguishable by quantitative acoustics, minor colouration characters, and geographic location [2]. …”

“…brevipennis s. l. and the cerdaniensis song group are such important and effective reproductive barriers that we can focus separately on the details of differentiation inside the cerdaniensis group [2] and now inside the supposed C . brevipennis group.…”

The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka: an annotated provisional catalogue, regional checklist and bibliography

“…Many of the cicada groups may contain cryptic species that will be discovered using these methods, which is a common experience in Cicadidae (e.g. Price et al 2007, Price et al 2010, Popple 2013, Marshall et al 2015, Hertach et al 2015, Wade et al 2015) especially in recently neglected biodiversity hotspots such as India. We hope that this current taxonomic update will facilitate species discovery and further systematic and ecological work on cicadas of the Indian region.…”