Molecular phylogeny of the endemic East African flightless grasshoppers Altiusambilla Jago, Usambilla (Sjöstedt) and Rhainopomma Jago (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Lentulidae)

Abstract

A molecular phylogeny of endemic flightless grasshoppers is presented for the three Lentulidae genera Altiusambilla Jago, 1981, Usambilla Sjostedt, 1909 and Rhainopomma Jago, 1981 based on DNA sequences (16S rRNA locus). Parsimony, distance and likelihood reconstructions were performed using different assumptions on sequence evolution. The generated phylogenies agree in almost all parts of the calculated trees and support the monophyly of the observed genera. It was shown that Usambilla and Rhainopomma are more closely related to each other, Altiusambilla being a separate clade. However, the investigated East African lentulid genera are clearly separated from South African taxa, underlining the monophyly of East African genera. Usambilla olivacea is re-established. Popula- tions of Rhainopomma montanum from the Taita Hills of Kenya and from the West Usambara mountains of Tanzania are two separate species not closely related to each other. Rhainopomma samples from the North Pare mountains of Tanzania belong to a hitherto undescribed species.