Phylogeny, molecular species delimitation, and biogeography of the cryptic subgenus Ulopsina (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ulopinae).

This article focuses on the molecular phylogeny, species delimitation, biogeography, and ecological niche modeling of the leafhopper subgenus Ulopsina within the tribe Ulopini (family Cicadellidae). Using four genetic markers and integrative taxonomy combining molecular and morphological data, the study confirms three previously described species and identifies three new species within Ulopsina, which is divided into two species groups (bimaculata and sinica). Divergence time estimates suggest the subgenus originated in the early Miocene in southern Yunnan and southeast Xizang, with speciation influenced by geological uplift and climate changes. Ecological niche modeling indicates precipitation during the warmest quarter and isothermality as key factors shaping current distribution, and predicts a northward range expansion in subtropical China under future climate warming scenarios.