The genus Apholidoptera of Pholidopterini (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae): Molecular phylogeny confirms the generic status

Abstract

After a recent revision of the tribe Pholidopterini, the generic status of Apholidoptera becomes questionable and requires to be clarified by determining its phylogenetic position. The present study aims to obtain a phylogenetic tree using published DNA sequence data of Pholidopterini and representative sequences from Apholidoptera kurda, the only species of the genus. Phylogenetic analyses applied to the dataset, including three mitochondrial and one nuclear gene segments, suggested the Apholidoptera kurda within the clade constituting the most basal branch of Pholidopterini, containing five species of Aparapholidoptera. This clade consists of two sister subclades; the first consists of Apholidoptera kurda plus Aparapholidoptera pietschmanni, and the second species in the Aparapholidoptera distincta group. Two subclades share the last common ancestor about 12 million years ago, indicating a deep phylogenetic splitting. Further, both subclades are distinguishable by prominent morphological differences. Considering the ultimate ancestral ages of the con-tribal other genera and phenotypic disparity, we proposed each as a separate genus. This statement confirms the generic status of Apholidoptera with species content of the original description and requires retransferring Aparapholidoptera pietschmanni to Apholidoptera. This nomenclatural change also limits Aparapholidoptera with four species previously given in the Aparapholidoptera distincta group.