biostudies-literatureUnknown867Zhang HWe investigated the feasibility of using the DNA barcode region in identifying <i>Deltocephalus</i> from China. Sequences of the barcode region of the mitochondrial COI gene were obtained for 98 specimens (<i>Deltocephalus vulgaris</i> - 88, <i>Deltocephalus pulicaris</i> - 5, <i>Deltocephalus uncinatus</i> - 5). The average genetic distances among morphological and geographical groups of <i>D. vulgaris</i> ranged from 0.9% to 6.3% and among the three species of <i>Deltocephalus</i> ranged from 16.4% to 21.9% without overlap, which effectively reveals the existence of a "DNA barcoding gap". It is important to assess the status of these morphological variants and explore the genetic variation among Chinese populations of <i>D. vulgaris</i> because the status of this species has led to taxonomic confusion because specimens representing two distinct morphological variants based on the form of the aedeagus are often encountered at a single locality. Forty-five haplotypes (<i>D. vulgaris</i> - 36, <i>D. pulicaris</i> - 5, <i>D. uncinatus</i> - 4) were defined to perform the phylogenetic analyses; they revealed no distinct lineages corresponding either to the two morphotypes of <i>D. vulgaris</i> or to geographical populations. Thus, there is no evidence that these variants represent genetically distinct species.ZooKeys55-71https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6684520biostudies-literatureDNA barcoding of <i>Deltocephalus</i> Burmeister leafhoppers (Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae, Deltocephalini) in China.PMC6684520Zhang YZhang HDuan YfalseDNA barcoding of <i>Deltocephalus</i> Burmeister leafhoppers (Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae, Deltocephalini) in China.We investigated the feasibility of using the DNA barcode region in identifying <i>Deltocephalus</i> from China. Sequences of the barcode region of the mitochondrial COI gene were obtained for 98 specimens (<i>Deltocephalus vulgaris</i> - 88, <i>Deltocephalus pulicaris</i> - 5, <i>Deltocephalus uncinatus</i> - 5). The average genetic distances among morphological and geographical groups of <i>D. vulgaris</i> ranged from 0.9% to 6.3% and among the three species of <i>Deltocephalus</i> ranged from 16.4% to 21.9% without overlap, which effectively reveals the existence of a "DNA barcoding gap". It is important to assess the status of these morphological variants and explore the genetic variation among Chinese populations of <i>D. vulgaris</i> because the status of this species has led to taxonomic confusion because specimens representing two distinct morphological variants based on the form of the aedeagus are often encountered at a single locality. Forty-five haplotypes (<i>D. vulgaris</i> - 36, <i>D. pulicaris</i> - 5, <i>D. uncinatus</i> - 4) were defined to perform the phylogenetic analyses; they revealed no distinct lineages corresponding either to the two morphotypes of <i>D. vulgaris</i> or to geographical populations. Thus, there is no evidence that these variants represent genetically distinct species.2019-01-01T00:00:00Z20192024-11-09T01:10:53.823Z2019-08-13T07:04:12ZS-EPMC66845203140437110.3897/zookeys.867.35058