Molecular phylogenetic analysis and taxonomy of the Palearctic Pamphagidae grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acridoidea) based on DNA markers

Abstract Achieving a commonly accepted phylogeny of the grasshopper family Pamphagidae proves to be challenging using only morphology-based analysis. So far, discussions about status and phylogenetic placement of taxa within this family did not yield a clear picture of evolutionary history of the Pamphagidae. However, a large amount of DNA sequences has been amassed in the available databases, offering a good opportunity to utilize molecular methods to clarify phylogenetic relationships among the Pamphagidae. Analyzing sequences of two mitochondrial genes, COI and COII, we constructed a new phylogenetic tree for three (out of five) subfamilies of the Pamphagidae. Total of 83 Pamphagidae species were used in the analysis. These subfamilies form six clades; while most species fall into their recognized genera and tribes, the relationships between some tribes and subfamilies fail to concur with a currently accepted phylogeny. Our data suggest a separate position of the tribe Tropidauchenini as opposed to the rest of the subfamily Pamphaginae, while the tribe Nocarodeini appears to represent a higher taxonomic rank than a tribe, which might suggest its possible position as subfamily. The current paper is the first step on a road to a comprehensive phylogenetic study of the Pamphagidae family. The differences in commonly accepted classification compared to our data suggests that further study is necessary to uncover true evolutionary story of this complex family of Orthoptera insects.