A molecular phylogeny of Eumorpha (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) and the evolution of anti‐predator larval eyespots. (20th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: PONCE, FRANCESCA V.; BREINHOLT, JESSE W.; HOSSIE, THOMAS; BARBER, JESSE R.; JANZEN, DANIEL H.; HALLWACHS, WINNIE; KAWAHARA, AKITO Y.
• Is Part Of: Systematic entomology. Volume 40:Number 2(2015:Apr.)
• Page Start: 401
• Page End: 408
• Publication Date: 2014-10-20
• Subjects: Insects -- Classification -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.7012
• DOI: 10.1111/syen.12111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0307-6970

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="syen12111-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="syen12111-para-0001">Many insects possess conspicuous external circular ring markings that resemble the eye of a vertebrate. These 'eyespots' typically function to startle or otherwise deter predators, but few studies have examined how eyespots have evolved. We study the evolution of the posterior larval eyespot in the charismatic New World hawkmoth genus <italic>Eumorpha</italic>. While <italic>Eumorpha</italic> has a range of posterior larval eyespot shapes and sizes, little is known of how this trait has evolved because phylogenetic relationships of <italic>Eumorpha</italic> remain largely unknown. In this study, we included 62 individuals from 23 of 26 described <italic>Eumorpha</italic> species, and sequenced four genes (<italic>CAD</italic>, <italic>EF</italic>‐<italic>1α</italic>, <italic>W</italic><italic>ingless</italic> and <italic>COI</italic>), totaling 3773 base pairs. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic methods produced largely congruent trees with well‐supported relationships. Our analyses reveal that <italic>Eumorpha</italic> probably had an ancestor with a posterior larval eyespot and that the eyespot was subsequently lost in at least three lineages. <italic>Eumorpha</italic> appears to have originated in Central and South America and expanded its distribution to North America.</p> </abstract>