Therese A. Catanach
Major Professor: Dr. Jim Woolley
M.S. Candidate
"A Phylogeny of the Leafhopper Genus Flexamia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Constructed with Morphological and Molecular Characters."
Flexami'a (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is a broadly-distributed North American leafhopper genus found mainly in grasslands. While various phylogenies have been published, no single study has included both morphological and molecular data on this genus. Based on morphological data and two mitochondrial gene sequences, 16S and NADH dehydrogenase 1, the monophyletic origin of Flexamia was supported. Some species groups proposed by Whitcomb and Hicks were found to be polyphyletic, while others are well supported. Overall, constructed phylogenies partially agree with previous phylogenies, although there are some major differences.