A molecular phylogeny of the family Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera)

Tettigoniidae contains over 6500 species making it the second largest family within Orthoptera. Tettigoniids possess one of the most complex systems of acoustic communication within insects, yet we know very little about how this system evolved. Previous investigations into the relationships within this family lacked a robust sampling or formal analysis leaving many unanswered questions. Using five loci (18S, 28S, Wingless, H3, and COII) we reconstructed a robust molecular phylogeny of Tettigoniidae. Based on the resulting phylogeny, we test the monophyly of major tettigoniid subfamilies and study the evolutionary relationships amongst these groups. With this phylogeny we can begin to uncover the evolutionary patterns seen in the morphology associated with katydid acoustic communication.