Phylogeny of Limenitidinae Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Inferred from Mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I Gene Sequences

The phylogenetic analyses of the subfamily Limenitidinae are performed based on 1 471 bp of mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence data which were obtained from 21 individuals spanning 9 genera, along with those of 17 species obtained from GenBank, using Apatura iris, Aglais urticae, and Polyura dolon as outgroup species. Although the transitions at the third codon positions of the COI data set were highly saturated, they were still retained for analysis as they contain the majority of the phylogenetic information, and thus, the maximum pasimony (MP) under different weighting schemes and maximum likelihood (ML) trees were reconstructed in this study. The results showed that within this subfamily, the results based on the COI gene sequences are approximately identical to the traditional classification results. However, the clustering of Lexias pardalis and Tanaecia julii within the genus Euthalia as well as the clustering of Phaedyma aspasia within the genus Neptis with weak support are different from that of the current classification scheme made by Chinese scholars. The genus Limenitis is splited into two subclusters in the trees constructed by using MP and ML methods. These results support one of the strongest hypotheses for the tribe relationships within Limenitidinae.