Molecular phylogeny and DNA barcoding in the meadow-spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Cercopidae) and its related species

Philaenus spumarius, widely studied for its colour/pattern polymorphism, is a widespread species across the Holartic. The patterns of haplotype divergence at the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) found in this study suggest a postglacial western Europe (Iberian and Italian peninsulas to Britain) and a eastern (from Near East to Finland) south-to-north colonization. The haplotypes found in North America are most likely derived from the British haplotypes. The barcode fragment used here allowed the distinction of the species within genus Philaenus and questioned some taxonomic identifications of sequences present in Genbank.