Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Deltocephalini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) indicates paraphyly of multiple genera

Phylogenetic relationships among genera and species of the leafhopper tribe Deltocephalini, with particular focus on the large genus Maiestas, were reconstructed using a data set of 32 species representing eight genera plus five outgroups, three nuclear gene fragments (28S rDNA, Wingless, H3) and one mitochondrial (COI) gene fragment using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). The ML and BI results are well resolved with areas of incongruence restricted to a few branches receiving low support in one or both analyses within a large clade comprising species of Maiestas. The results consistently support the monophyly of Deltocephalini, but indicate that some genera previously defined based on morphology, including Deltocephalus, Maiestas and Polyamia, are paraphyletic.