Phylogenetic relationship of Japanese Podismini species (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) inferred from a partial sequence of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene

Members of the tribe Podismini (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) are distributed mainly in Eurasia and the western and eastern regions of North America. The primary aim of this study is to explore the phylogenetic relationship of Japanese Podismini grasshoppers by comparing partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. Forty podismine species (including nineteen Japanese species) and thirty-seven species from other tribes of the Melanoplinae (Dactylotini, Dichroplini, Melanoplini, and Jivarini) were used in the analyses. All the Japanese Podismini, except Anapodisma, were placed in a well-supported subclade. However, our results did not correspond with the classification on the basis of morphological similarity for the status of Tonkinacridina. This group of Japanese species constituted a single clade with other species of Miramellina and Podismina, while Eurasian continental species of Tonkinacridina were placed in other separate clades. This incongruence might have resulted from historical migratory events between continent and ancient islands and subsequent convergent/parallel evolution in morphology. Some remarks on phylogenetic positions in Podismini and other tribes were also made in terms of reconstructed phylogeny.