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Multi‐gene phylogeny of the H emileuca maia complex ( S aturniidae) across N orth A merica suggests complex phylogeography and rapid ecological diversification
Author(s) -
RUBINOFF DANIEL,
SAN JOSE MICHAEL,
PEIGLER RICHARD S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
systematic entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1365-3113
pISSN - 0307-6970
DOI - 10.1111/syen.12235
Subject(s) - biology , phylogeography , ecotype , taxon , sympatry , phylogenetic tree , phylogenetics , gene flow , ecology , evolutionary biology , range (aeronautics) , zoology , sympatric speciation , gene , genetic variation , genetics , materials science , composite material
Abstract The H emileuca maia species complex occurs across the N orth A merican continent and consists of six named taxa, and several others that were recently synonymized. Taxa exhibit a wide span of adult flight periods, dramatic shifts in host‐plant use and occur in a range of habitats, all of which would suggest unrecognized diversity. We used one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes to generate 3900 bp per individual, including samples from every ecotype in the species group across the U nited S tates from N ew E ngland to central F lorida to C alifornia. We assessed phylogenetic relationships using both m aximum l ikelihood and B ayesian phylogenetic methods. Results suggest very low levels of divergence across most of the continent and low levels of genetic structure – even between some recognized species that maintain clear ecological difference in sympatry. Our results suggest that meaningful and localized ecological divergence may occur in the absence of easily recognizable genetic divergence, due to either ongoing gene flow or the recent diversification in the group.