Quaternary vicariance of Platypleura (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in Japan, Ryukyu, and Taiwan islands

A groundbreaking molecular study reveals that the evolutionary history of Platypleura cicadas in Japan, Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan was significantly shaped by Quaternary vicariance events. The research identified two distinct monophyletic sister groups based on wing coloration—dark-winged and light-winged clades—and traced their divergence to approximately 1.55 million years ago, coinciding with the geological formation of the Ryukyu Islands. Phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear genes uncovered nine genetically distinct clades, each exhibiting unique island-specific distributions. Notably, P. kaempferi populations on different islands show significant genetic differentiation despite their morphological similarity. The study also estimated molecular clock rates for the studied genes, providing insights into the temporal dynamics of cicada evolution in this region.

Osozawa, S., Shiyake, S., Fukuda, H., & Wakabayashi, J. (2017). Quaternary vicariance of Platypleura (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in Japan, Ryukyu, and Taiwan islands. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 121(1), 185–199. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blw023