Phylogenetic study of heliconiine butterflies based on morphology and restriction analysis of ribosomal RNA genes

Abstract

Relationships of ten heliconiine butterflies (genera Dryas and Heliconius, family Nymphalidae) were elucidated by phylogenetic analysis of characters based on ribosomal DNA restriction site variation and morphology. Agraulis vanillae, also a heliconiine, was used as the outgroup species. Although neither the morphological nor the molecular data unambiguously resolve relationships among the heliconiines, a combined analysis of both data sets results in a tree that is similar to traditional systematic arrangements and previous views of radiation in the group. Both pupal-mating and nonpupal-mating species group as clades in the combined analysis. However, the restriction site data alone do not support the monophyly of the pupal-mating clade, and the morphological data alone do not support the monophyly of the non-pupal-mating clade. Furthermore, relationships of H. melpomene, H. cydno and the silvaniform species depart from traditional arrangements based on morphology and reproductive compatibility experiments. All trees support the independent evolution of similar wing patterns of species previously suggested to be members of mimicry complexes. Several mimicry complexes appear to have a member in each of the two major monophyletic groups (pupal-mating and non-pupal-mating clades).