Patanga japonica Bolivar, 1898 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is listed as a climate-sensitive indicator species in South Korea and is called southern group of insects in that the main distributional range is southern region of South Korea and Asian continent. In South Korea, thus, the species was distributed mainly in southern region of South Korea including southward a remote Jeju Island, but recently the species has often been detected in mid to northern region of South Korea, implying northward range expansion in response to climate change. Understanding the characteristics of the changes in genetic diversity during range expansion in response to climate change could be a foundation for the understanding of future biodiversity. Thus, in this study, we attempted to understand the changing pattern of the genetic diversity of the P. japonica in newly expanded regions. For the purpose of study, we collected 125 individuals from seven localities throughout South Korea including two newly distributed regions (Pyeongtaek and Yeongwol at ~37° N). These were sequenced for a segment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and analyzed for genetic diversity, haplotype frequency, and population genetic structure among populations. Interestingly, northward range expansion accompanied...