Mesozoic evolution of cicadas and their origins of vocalization and root feeding

Hui Jiang (), Jacek Szwedo, Conrad C. Labandeira, Jun Chen, Maxwell S. Moulds, Bastian Mähler, A. Drew Muscente, Zhuo De, Thet Tin Nyunt, Haichun Zhang, Cong Wei, Jes Rust and Bo Wang ()
Additional contact information
Hui Jiang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jacek Szwedo: University of Gdańsk
Conrad C. Labandeira: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Jun Chen: Linyi University
Maxwell S. Moulds: Australian Museum Research Institute
Bastian Mähler: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
A. Drew Muscente: Princeton Consultants
Zhuo De: Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum
Thet Tin Nyunt: Myanmar Gems Museum
Haichun Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cong Wei: Northwest A&F University
Jes Rust: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Bo Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Extant cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea) includes widely distributed Cicadidae and relictual Tettigarctidae, with fossils ascribed to these two groups based on several distinct, minimally varying morphological differences that define their extant counterparts. However, directly assigning Mesozoic fossils to modern taxa may overlook the role of unique and transitional features provided by fossils in tracking their early evolutionary paths. Here, based on adult and nymphal fossils from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar, we explore the phylogenetic relationships and morphological disparities of fossil and extant cicadoids. Our results suggest that Cicadidae and Tettigarctidae might have diverged at or by the Middle Jurassic, with morphological evolution possibly shaped by host plant changes. The discovery of tymbal structures and anatomical analysis of adult fossils indicate that mid-Cretaceous cicadas were silent as modern Tettigarctidae or could have produced faint tymbal-related sounds. The discovery of final-instar nymphal and exuviae cicadoid fossils with fossorial forelegs and piercing-sucking mouthparts indicates that they had most likely adopted a subterranean lifestyle by the mid-Cretaceous, occupying the ecological niche of underground feeding on root. Our study traces the morphological, behavioral, and ecological evolution of Cicadoidea from the Mesozoic, emphasizing their adaptive traits and interactions with their living environments.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44446-x

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