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Issue: Vol. 5383 No. 2: 11 Dec. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-12-11
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5383.2.7
Page range: 225-241
Abstract views: 473
PDF downloaded: 210

Māwhitiwhiti Aotearoa: Phylogeny and synonymy of the silent alpine grasshopper radiation of New Zealand (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Wildlife & Ecology Group; SNS; Massey University; Palmerston North; New Zealand
Wildlife & Ecology Group; SNS; Massey University; Palmerston North; New Zealand; The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd; Palmerston North; New Zealand
Wildlife & Ecology Group; SNS; Massey University; Palmerston North; New Zealand
Orthoptera phylogenetics grasshopper Acrididae Alpinacris Brachaspis Paprides Sigaus mitogenomics

Abstract

Aotearoa New Zealand has a fauna of endemic alpine grasshoppers, consisting of thirteen species distributed among four genera. The many re-classifications of species within this group and the presence of species complexes highlight the uncertainty that surrounds relationships within and between these genera. High-throughput Next Generation Sequencing was used to assemble the complete mitochondrial genomes, 45S ribosomal cassettes and histone sequences of New Zealand’s four endemic alpine genera: Alpinacris, Brachaspis, Paprides and Sigaus. Phylogenetic analysis of these molecular datasets, as individual genes, partitions and combinations returned a consistent topology that is incompatible with the current classification. The genera Sigaus, Alpinacris, and Paprides all exhibit paraphyly. A consideration of the pronotum, epiphallus and terminalia of adult specimens reveals species-specific differences, but fails to provide compelling evidence for species groups justifying distinct genera. In combination with phylogenetic, morphological and spatial evidence we propose a simplified taxonomy consisting of a single genus for the māwhitiwhiti Aotearoa species radiation.

 

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