Molecular phylogeny of Gryllidea (Orthoptera: Ensifera) by mitochondrial genomes reveals the patterns of subapical spurs and dorsal spines on hind tibiae

Abstract The phylogeny of Gryllidea remains a controversy due to inconsistent findings from morphological and molecular studies. In order to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among subfamilies in Gryllidea, we sequenced and analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of five species from different subfamilies. Our analysis included a total of 41 mitochondrial genomes from Gryllidea, and the resulting phylogenetic trees revealed following relationship (((((Gryllidae + Oecanthidae) + Phalangopsidae) +Trigonidiidae) + Mogoplistidae) + Myrmecophilidae) + Gryllotalpidae. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that Itarinae and Landrevinae were grouped in Gryllidae, and Euscyrtinae grouped together with Podoscirtinae in Oecanthidae. We focused on the presence of subapical spurs and dorsal spines on hind tibiae for ancestral character state reconstruction. The results indicated that hind tibiae of Gryllidea exhibited multiple transitions between only subapical spurs and only dorsal spines states.