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Phylogenomic insights into the tribal-level phylogeny of Typhlocybinae

Ran, Weiwei1; Yuan, Xiaojuan1; Yang, Xiao2; Guan, Delong3; Liang, Sheng4; Dietrich, Christopher H.5; Su, Di1; Song, Yuehua1

Published Jan 28, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wkx

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Abstract

Typhlocybinae is one of the most diverse groups of leafhoppers, constituting an important component of phytophagous insect diversity. The traditional tribal-level phylogenetic relationships within this subfamily remain contentious, with differing hypotheses implying distinct evolutionary histories. This study contributes to resolving these controversies using phylogenomics. We newly sequenced low-coverage whole genomes for 54 species spanning the six classic tribes of Typhlocybinae. From these data, we extracted thousands of universal single-copy orthologs (USCOs) and ultraconserved elements (UCEs). Robust tribal-level phylogenies were reconstructed using multiple dataset matrices (USCO50, USCO70, USCO90, USCO_fna, ClipKIT_USCO70, UCE_fna) and tree-building strategies, including partitioned maximum likelihood with homogeneous models, unpartitioned heterogeneous mixture models, and the multi-species coalescent model. A particular focus was placed on elucidating the complex taxonomic status between Zyginellini and Typhlocybini, integrating molecular results with morphological evidence. Our findings indicate that the choice of molecular marker type and modeling methods can influence the inferred tribal-level relationships. Data filtering improves tribal-level support. The final analyses reveal that Zyginellini is not monophyletic but is intermixed with Typhlocybini, although some Zyginellini lineages appear to have originated earlier than the Old World Typhlocybini. The other four tribes of Typhlocybinae are all monophyletic. The tribal-level phylogenetic relationship is: ((Zyginellini_Typhlocybini) + (Dikraneurini + Erythroneurini)) + (Alebrini + Empoascini). Furthermore, integrating wing venation morphology with previous molecular evidence, we propose the Eualebrina subtribe nov. of Typhlocybini (sensu lato). This study provides unprecedented genomic-scale data for Typhlocybinae and offers a framework to address similar phylogenetic challenges in other organisms.