Evolution of the false‐leaf katydids ( Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae ): Molecular phylogeny and divergence times

Phaneropterinae constitute the most diverse subfamily of Tettigoniidae, with a cosmopolitan distribution and highest diversity in tropical forests. Despite its richness, recent studies have questioned the group's monophyly, recovering most of its tribes as polyphyletic. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogeny for Phaneropterinae based on a concatenated dataset of five molecular markers (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, Histone 3 (H3), Wingless (WG) and cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII)), totalling 5445 aligned base pairs. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using parsimony, Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood. Divergence time estimates were also generated to establish a temporal framework for lineage diversification. Our results recover Phaneropterinae as monophyletic, with diversification starting approximately 91.2 million years ago. Several tribes were supported as monophyletic, including Phaneropterini (Old‐World and New World clades), Odonturini, Barbitistini, Dysoniini and Scudderiini, while others were highly polyphyletic, necessitating substantial taxonomic revision. We support the use of the tribal names Anaulacomerini stat. nov ., Aniarellini and Anisophyini to accommodate distinct American short‐winged lineages. This study provides the first robust molecular phylogenetic framework and divergence time estimates for Phaneropterinae, redefining tribal boundaries and offering crucial insights for future research in systematics, historical biogeography, comparative morphology and evolutionary diversification within this underexplored group.