Molecular Phylogenetics of the Genus Neoconocephalus (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) and the Evolution of Temperate Life Histories

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 4; no. 9; p. e7203
• Main Authors: Snyder, Robert L, Frederick-Hudson, Katy H, Schul, Johannes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.09.2009; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acoustics; Amplified fragment length polymorphism; Analysis; Animals; Arthropods; Behavior; Biological Evolution; Caribbean; Central America; Cold Temperature; Communication; Communications systems; Comparative studies; Conocephalinae; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Ecology/Evolutionary Ecology; Eggs; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Evolutionary Biology/Animal Behavior; Evolutionary Biology/Developmental Evolution; Evolutionary genetics; Fauna; Female; genetics; Geography; Group dynamics; Homoptera; Life history; loci; Male; Membracidae; Mitochondria; mitochondrial DNA; Models, Molecular; molecular systematics; Neivamyrmex maxillosus; Neoconocephalus; Neoconocephalus lyristes; Neoconocephalus pahayokee; Neoconocephalus triops; North America; nuclear genome; Orthoptera; Orthoptera - genetics; Overwintering; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Physiology; Polymorphism, Genetic; Reliability analysis; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Sibling species; Siblings; Species Specificity; Taxonomy; temperate zones; Tettigoniidae; Trends; tropics; Caribbean; Central America; North America; New York; United States > US; Missouri
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007203

Background: The katydid genus Neoconocephalus (25+ species) has a prominent acoustic communication system and occurs in large parts of the Neotropics and Nearctic. This group has been subject of numerous behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary studies of its acoustic communication system. Two distinct life histories occur in this group: The tropical life history incorporates multiple generations/year and direct egg development without environmental triggers. Temperate life history is characterized by overwintering in the egg stage, cold trigger of egg development, and one generation/year. This study reconstructs the phylogenetic relationships within the genus to (1) determine the evolutionary history of the temperate life history, and (2) to support comparative studies of evolutionary and physiological problems in this genus. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP), and sequences of two nuclear loci and one mitochondrial locus to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships. The analysis included 17 ingroup and two outgroup species. AFLP and mitochondrial data provided resolution at the species level while the two nuclear loci revealed only deeper nodes. The data sets were combined in a super-matrix to estimate a total evidence tree. Seven of the temperate species form a monophyletic group; however, three more temperate species were placed as siblings of tropical species. Conclusions/Significance: Our analyses support the reliability of the current taxonomic treatment of the Neoconocephalus fauna of Caribbean, Central, and North America. Ancestral state reconstruction of life history traits was not conclusive, however at least four transitions between life histories occurred among our sample of species. The proposed phylogeny will strengthen conclusions from comparative work in this group.