Molecular Systematic Analysis of Butterfly Family and Some Subfamily Relationships (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea)

Data obtained from ribosomal RNA sequences were used to study phylogenetic relationships within butterflies. In total, 28 taxa representing five commonly recognized papilionoid families and eight nymphalid subfamilies were examined. Within Nymphalidae, Libytheinae was the most basal lineage in three equally parsimonious trees. The largest subfamily, Nymphalinae, was not monophyletic. Vanessa , usually placed in the Nymphalinae, was grouped with the Apaturinae. Remaining nymphaline genera, Agraulis, Heliconius, Speyeria , and Basilarchia , formed a distinct clade. Relationships among Satyrinae, Morphinae, and Brassolinae varied among trees but the three subfamilies were always placed apically in the same clade. The position of Danainae was unstable. It was the sister taxon to the Satyrinae in two trees and to the Apaturinae in the third. At the family level, the Papilionidae formed a basal monophyletic group in four equally parsimonious trees. The Pieridae was consistently placed in the same clade with Nymphalidae and Riodinidae. In contrast to morphological phylogenies that place riodinids within lycaenids, riodinids were in a clade with pierids and nymphalids. Although we excluded several previous proposed phylogenies, molecular data were unable to resolve placements of all controversial groups.