Phylogeny and evolution of exaggerated traits among the Tingidae (Heteroptera, Cimicomorpha)

The Tingidae (Heteroptera) are characterized in part by their lace‐like structures. Some of the traits they exhibit, mostly on the hemelytra and the pronotum, can be considered as exaggerated. One may ask, are these traits hypertelic (nonadaptive) or do they represent an adaptation? Such a question is discussed with the support of a phylogenetic analysis of 55 taxa and on the basis of 85 characters. Six equiparsimonious trees are obtained by a first analysis. Three main groups are defined, but Tinginae appears paraphyletic, while Cantacaderinae, monophyletic, is included in Tinginae. Nevertheless, the relationships between the studied taxa show that there is a global tendency for pronotal and hemelytral traits to evolve from simple to exaggerated. Such evolution occurs in three clades independently. Thus, it is suggested that such traits could have an adaptive function, as also suggested for the pronotal expansions occurring on Membracidae (Auchenorrhyncha).