Trends of variation in south European Cicadidae (Insecta, Hemiptera) : an acoustic and morphometric approach with emphasis on genus Cicada L.

• Author(s): Simões, PC
• Date: 2008
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/1573
• Origin: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
• Subject(s): Cicada; Bioacústica; Morfometria; Biogeografia; Biologia evolutiva; Teses de doutoramento - 2008
• Document Type: Doctoral thesis
• Language: English
• Advisor(s): Quartau, José Alberto, 1946-
• Contributor(s): Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa

Description

Tese de doutoramento em Biologia (Biologia Evolutiva), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2008

In the present thesis an acoustic and morphometric approach to patterns of variation and divergence of south European cicadas, with emphasis on the genus Cicada L. was carried out. This allowed the outcome of a revised list of all the cicada species known to occur in Portugal, as well as the first description of the calling song of Euryphara contentei based on material from the type locality. A more thorough characterization of the genus Cicada was performed and the new species Cicada cretensis Quartau & Simões, 2005 was described to science. Knowledge on the biogeography and on the structure and patterns of variation in acoustic signals and morphometrics of the species within this genus was significantly increased. A clear geographical separation between C. orni and C. mordoganensis was found in the Aegean area, the former species being present in the west and central localities, while the latter occurs in the eastern part of the area. In C. orni, populations from SE Europe appeared to be acoustically differentiated through longer inter-echeme durations. The biogeography of the genus proved to be correlated with the tectonical evolution of the Aegean area. Therefore, paleogeography may be considered one of the major factors responsible for the present levels of endemism and patterns of distribution in the genus Cicada. Morphometric analysis in sizeand shape revealed that C. lodosi and C.barbara are the species morphologically more divergent, aresult in agreement with the acoustic data. However, divergence is less pronounced in morphologythan at the acoustic level. In the genus Cicada, the calling song appeared to have an important roleboth in long and short range communication, therefore acting as a Specific Mate RecognitionSystem (SMRS). Echeme and syllable rate are possibly the acoustic parameters with more relevantinformation in species recognition and mate choice.

Centro de Biologia Ambiental/CBA (FCT), Reitoria da Universidade de Lisboa; Instituto de Cooperação Científica e Tecnológica Internacional/ICCTI; Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), (projecto PRAXIS XXI 2/2.1/BIA/97/94; Bases para a definição de um modelo de especiação envolvendo um par de espécies sibling do género Cicada L. (Homoptera, Auchenorhyncha); ICCTI e Embaixada Francesa em Lisboa (Projecto no. 537C1).