Abstract:

【Aim】 The aim of this study is to clarify the phylogenetic status of the tribe Sinosenini in Cicadoidea, in which the cicadas have no timbal organs. 【Methods】 Based on adult specimens of Karenia caelatata of Sinosenini collected in Ningshan, Shaanxi, northwestern China, the mitochondrial genome of K. caelatata was sequenced, annotated, bioinformatically analyzed, and compared with the mitochondrial genomes of other taxa of Cicadoidea. Molecular phylogenetic trees for Cicadoidea were constructed using both maximum likelihood (ML) method and Bayesian inference (BI) method. 【Results】 The mitochondrial genome of K. caelatata (GenBank accession number: MN922304) is 14 960 bp in length, and the gene organization, nucleotide composition and codon usage of proteincoding genes display similar structural characteristics to those of other taxa of Cicadoidea. Analysis of nucleotide diversity reveals that genes atp8, nad6 and nad2 are highly variable, while cox1 is more conserved. Ratios of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates indicate that the evolution of mitochondrial genomes in Cicadoidea is under a highlevel purifying selection. Results of phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Cicadomorpha, revealing the relationship of the three superfamilies of this infraorder as (Membraciodea+(Cicadoidea+Cercopodidea)). Karenia is clustered with representatives of the tribe Dundubiini in the subfamily Cicadinae and most closely related to the genus Meimuna. Mogannia and Vagitanus, representatives of Cicadatrini, are clustered with the members of Cicadettinae. Yezoterpnosia is not a monophyletic group. 【Conclusion】 Sinosenini should be transferred from Cicadettinae to Cicadinae and merged with Dundubiini, while Cicadatrini should be transferred from Cicadinae to Cicadettinae. Our results provide new information for future study of evolution of cicadas with different sound-producing mechanisms.

Key words: Cicadoidea, Cicadomorpha, timbal organ, mitogenome, nucleotide diversity, evolutionary rate