Abstract: The mtDNA COI genes of 84 samples from 12 populations of tea green leafhopper Empoasca vitis (Göthe) and 62 samples from three leafhopper outgroups of Empoasca flavescens, Erythroneura apicalis and Erythroneura sudra were cloned and sequenced, and their genetic structure and phylogeny were bioinformatically analyzed. Results showed that the genetic distances among 12 tea green leafhopper populations were 0.5%-1.2%, which were all less than the species boundary of 2%, and the obvious genetic differentiation was not elemonstrated. The ML phylogmetic tree also showed that E. vitis was no priority within-population. The genetic distances between E. vitis and other outgroup leafhopper were 14.8%-24.5%, and E. flavescens showed the closest relationship with E. vitis while E. sudra was the most distant species to E. vitis. The phylogenetic tree based on ML method also showed the leafhoppers from tea and grape were one group while peach leafhopper was another divergent group. The genetic distance and phylogenetic relationship of tea leafhopper were revealed by using mtDNA COI biomarker, which provided the foundation for exploring its origin and adaptive mechanism in tea plantation.

Key words: Empoasca vitis, mtDNA COI, genetic distance, phylogeny