Phylogeny, biogeography, and diversification of the cicada Pomponia linearis and its allies (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

The article focuses on the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of the Asian cicada genus *Pomponia*, particularly the *Pomponia linearis* species group. Through morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analyses of 394 individuals using multiple genes, the study confirms *P. linearis* as the most widely distributed species and synonymizes *Pomponia yayeyamana* with *P. linearis* and *Pomponia backanensis* with *Pomponia subtilita*. Six new species within the group are described. The phylogeny does not support the monophyly of the tribe Psithyristriini, and the ancestor of the *P. linearis* group likely originated in the Hengduan Mountains and Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau around 5.41 million years ago, diversifying mainly during the Mid-Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. The study suggests that geological events such as the Himalayan uplift, Pleistocene climatic oscillations, and sea-level changes have driven the diversification and geographic structuring of *P. linearis* into five distinct subclades corresponding to isolated populations across Eastern Asia.