Final Activity Report Summary - PSYLLOIDEA PHYLOGENY (Morphological and molecular phylogeny of the Psylloidea (Insecta, Hemiptera): to resolve ancient relationships between insects and host-plants)
The main objective of the project was to infer a classification of phytophagous insects called 'jumping plant lice' (or 'psyllids') based on the evolution of the group. Due to their very restricted range of host-plants, psyllids are an excellent model to study co-evolution or parallel evolution between plants and insects throughout geological time, but our phylogenetic knowledge in Psylloidea was still very poor. Field trips in the Tropics allowed to get fresh material for the phylogenetic reconstruction of the super-family Psylloidea based on the world fauna, as well as description of species new for science.
Some other subgroups have been sampled and analysed more precisely in order to get both micro- and macro-evolutionary aspects of the observed biodiversity. We have concluded that insects diversification occurred often on phylogeneticaly close host-plants, and we modulated this general scheme in reference with the taxonomic level (family, suprageneric or generic level).
However, geographical vicariance (isolation of two areas and subsequent separate evolution of floras and faunas) has also been pointed out to explain the observed distribution nowadays, as well as ecological ability to share food and habitats that led to sympatric speciation events (evolution of new species in the same area). Generalisation of results has also been tested in other hemipteran groups like Coccoidea (scale insects), Fulgoromorpha (planthoppers) and Cicadomorpha (cicadas).
Some other subgroups have been sampled and analysed more precisely in order to get both micro- and macro-evolutionary aspects of the observed biodiversity. We have concluded that insects diversification occurred often on phylogeneticaly close host-plants, and we modulated this general scheme in reference with the taxonomic level (family, suprageneric or generic level).
However, geographical vicariance (isolation of two areas and subsequent separate evolution of floras and faunas) has also been pointed out to explain the observed distribution nowadays, as well as ecological ability to share food and habitats that led to sympatric speciation events (evolution of new species in the same area). Generalisation of results has also been tested in other hemipteran groups like Coccoidea (scale insects), Fulgoromorpha (planthoppers) and Cicadomorpha (cicadas).