Search

In this article, the complete mitogenome of Tituria pyramidata Cai, was sequenced and annotated, which contained 37 typical genes. The length of the mitochondrial genome is 15,331 bp with A + T% for the whole sequence = 75.6% (A = 29%, T = 46.6%, G = 13.7%, and C = 10.6%). Protein-coding genes (PCGs) started with standard start codon ATN (ATA, ATT, ATG, and ATC) and ended with TAR (TAA and TAG), except nad5 started with TTG, cox3 ended with single T. The phylogenetic tree confirms that T. pyramidata was clustered with Ledra auditura with strong branch support.

Abstract The Cicadellidae, one of largest insect families, is highly diversified in its living groups; fossils of this family, however, are poorly documented. Up to now, only three modern cicadellid subfamilies have been reported from the late Mesozoic, represented by five monotypic genera. We herein erect a new taxon, Qilia regilla gen. et sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, and tentatively ascribe it to Ledrinae: Paracarsonini. The new genus differs distinctly from other Paracarsonini from the Crato Formation of Brazil in having the head with the apex of the anterior margin acute; the antennae located relatively far away from the postclypeus; crossveins from RA to the anterior margin of the wing absent, resulting in a long and unbroken anterior cell; the terminal branches of RA and MP reduced in number; and crossveins (ir and rp-mp) weakly expressed. The results of the present study greatly expand the paleogeography of modern Ledrinae in the late Mesozoic, and also add some significant information to our knowledge of the diversity, distribution and evolution of early leafhoppers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial genomes are widely used for investigations into phylogeny, phylogeography, and population genetics. More than 70 mitogenomes have been sequenced for the diverse hemipteran superfamily Membracoidea, but only one partial and two complete mtgenomes mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced for the included subfamily Ledrinae. Here, the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two additional Ledrinae species are newly sequenced and comparatively analyzed. Results show both mitogenomes are circular, double-stranded molecules, with lengths of 14,927 bp (Tituria sagittata) and 14,918 bp (Petalocephala chlorophana). The gene order of these two newly sequenced Ledrinae is highly conserved and typical of members of Membracoidea. Similar tandem repeats in the control region were discovered in Ledrinae. Among 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) of reported Ledrinae mitogenomes, analyses of the sliding window, nucleotide diversity, and nonsynonymous substitution (Ka)/synonymous substitution (Ks) indicate atp8 is a comparatively fast-evolving gene, while cox1 is the slowest. Phylogenetic relationships were also reconstructed for the superfamily Membracoidea based on expanded sampling and gene data from GenBank. This study shows that all subfamilies (sensu lato) are recovered as monophyletic. In agreement with previous studies, these results indicate that leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are paraphyletic with respect to the two recognized families of treehoppers (Aetalionidae and Membracidae). Relationships within Ledrinae were recovered as (Ledra + (Petalocephala + Tituria)).

In general, leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) possess a pair of bacteriomes in the abdomen, which harbor two types of obligate bacterial symbionts: a very ancient Sulcia symbiont and another ancient Nasuia-allied co-symbiont (or a younger Baumannia co-symbiont). However, when we inspected three eared leafhoppers of the subfamily Ledrinae, namely Ledra auditura Walker, Ledropsis discolor (Uhler) and Tituria angulata (Matsumura), L. discolor harbored only Sulcia symbiont while L. auditura and T. angulata possessed no bacterial symbionts. Instead, all the species possessed specialized cells full of yeast-like fungal symbionts within fat bodies. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the fungal symbionts are placed within the entomoparasitic fungal genus Ophiocordyceps (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae). These results suggest the possibility that (1) the fungal symbiont was acquired in the evolutionary course of the Ledrinae, (2) the original fungus was likely an entomoparasite of the genus Ophiocordyceps, (3) the fungal symbiont replaced the Nasuia-allied symbiont in an ancestral lineage, and (4) even the ancient Sulcia symbiont was finally lost and taken over by the fungal symbiont. Meanwhile, the possibility of multiple independent fungal acquisitions from closely related entomoparasitic Ophiocordyceps fungi cannot be excluded. Our finding uncovers an evolutionary process from a prokaryotic essential symbiosis to a eukaryotic one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ledrinae is a unique group of leafhoppers with a distinct appearance. Petalocephala is the largest Ledrinae genus that is difficult to identify except by dissecting the male genitals. To date, research on Ledrinae is relatively less compared with other leafhoppers. Therefore, to better understand this group, we sequenced and analyzed three complete Petalocephala mitochondrial genomes. We comparatively analyzed these general Petalocephala genomic features (including size, AT content, AT/GC skew, 13 protein-coding gene nucleotide compositions, etc.), and predicted 22 transfer RNA secondary structures. We obtained highly consistent phylogenetic results within Cicadellidae based on mitogenomic data using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Our results showed that all subfamilies were monophyletic and had a high node support rate, and there was a sister group relationship between Ledrinae and all other leafhopper groups. Furthermore, treehoppers were found to originate from leafhoppers and showed sister group relationships with Megophthalminae. Within Ledrinae, all phylogenetic trees supporting phylogenetic relationships were as follows: ([P. dicondylica + P. gongshanensis] + [Tituria pyramidata + [Ledra auditura + P. gongshanensis]]) Based on the complete mitogenome phylogenetic analysis and the comparison of morphological characteristics, we propose that Petalocephala is not monophyletic., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this article, the complete mitogenome of Tituria pyramidata Cai, 1993 was sequenced and annotated, which contained 37 typical genes. The length of the mitochondrial genome is 15,331 bp with A + T% for the whole sequence = 75.6% (A = 29%, T = 46.6%, G = 13.7%, and C = 10.6%). Protein-coding genes (PCGs) started with standard start codon ATN (ATA, ATT, ATG, and ATC) and ended with TAR (TAA and TAG), except nad5 started with TTG, cox3 ended with single T. The phylogenetic tree confirms that T. pyramidata was clustered with Ledra auditura with strong branch support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cicadellid subfamily Ledrinae known in the Mesozoic is represented by two monotypic genera erected on six compression fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation in Brazil, and the monotypic genus Qilia based on an adult leafhopper in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. We herein describe and illustrate a new female ledrine in Kachin amber, based on which a new genus and species, Duyana electronica gen. et sp. nov., is established. Duyana gen. nov. shares a series of features with the genus Qilia , but is distinguishable from the latter with some novel morphological characteristics. The hitherto definite cicadellid recorded in the Mesozoic are very scarce, and our find provides new information on early disparity of this mega-diverse insect lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ledrinae is a small subfamily with many unique characteristics and comprises 5 tribes with 39 genera including approximately 300 species. The monophyly of Ledrinae and the phylogenetic relationships among cicadellid subfamilies remain controversial. To provide further insight into the taxonomic status and phylogenetic status of Ledrinae, two additional complete mitochondrial genomes of Ledrinae species (Tituria sagittata and Petalocephala chlorophana) are newly sequenced and comparatively analyzed. The results showed the sequenced genes of Ledrinae retain the putative ancestral order for insects. In this study, phylogenetic analyses based on expanded sampling and gene data from GenBank indicated that Ledrinae appeared as monophyletic with maximum bootstrap support values and maximum Bayesian posterior probabilities. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis of concatenated alignments of three datasets produced a well-resolved framework of Cicadellidae and valuable data toward future study in this subfamily. Mitochondrial genomes are widely used for investigations into phylogeny, phylogeography, and population genetics. More than 70 mitogenomes have been sequenced for the diverse hemipteran superfamily Membracoidea, but only one partial and two complete mtgenomes mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced for the included subfamily Ledrinae. Here, the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two additional Ledrinae species are newly sequenced and comparatively analyzed. Results show both mitogenomes are circular, double-stranded molecules, with lengths of 14,927 bp (Tituria sagittata) and 14,918 bp (Petalocephala chlorophana). The gene order of these two newly sequenced Ledrinae is highly conserved and typical of members of Membracoidea. Similar tandem repeats in the control region were discovered in Ledrinae. Among 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) of reported Ledrinae mitogenomes, analyses of the sliding window, nucleotide diversity, and nonsynonymous substitution (Ka)/synonymous substitution (Ks) indicate atp8 is a comparatively fast-evolving gene, while cox1 is the slowest. Phylogenetic relationships were also reconstructed for the superfamily Membracoidea based on expanded sampling and gene data from GenBank. This study shows that all subfamilies (sensu lato) are recovered as monophyletic. In agreement with previous studies, these results indicate that leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are paraphyletic with respect to the two recognized families of treehoppers (Aetalionidae and Membracidae). Relationships within Ledrinae were recovered as (Ledra + (Petalocephala + Tituria)). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]