CHEN Zhenning1,2, WANG Qingqing1, CHEN Zhi2, GUAN Delong1, QIAO Feng2, XU Shengquan1*
(1 Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi′an 710119, Shaanxi, China; 2 College of life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xi′ning 810008, Qinghai, China)
Abstract:
There are still contentions on the taxonomic systems of butterfly and the monophyly of Nymphalidae, Satyridae and Danaidae. In this study, we sequenced partial mitochondrial COI, Cyt b genes and nuclear EF-1α gene of 48 butterfly species which representing 9 families. The phylogeny of these butterflies was analyzed based on the combined data set of these three genes. The divergent time among these butterfly families was estimated based on both molecular sequences and fossil records. The following results are obtained.The phylogenetic relationship among the families is consistent with most previous phylogenetic studies; the families, Satyridae, Nymphalidae and Danaidae were proved as monophyly groups and their divergence times were all closed to that of their relatives. Therefore, the taxonomic status of these three families are confirmed, which in accord with the butterfly taxonomic system build by IO CHOU.
KeyWords:
butterfly; phylogeny; divergent time; molecular systematics
