Comprehensive phylogeny of Pieridae butterflies reveals strong correlation between diversification and temperature.

Temperature is thought to be a key factor influencing global species richness patterns. We investigate the link between temperature and diversification in the butterfly family Pieridae by combining next generation DNA sequences and published molecular data with fine-grained distribution data. We sampled nearly 600 pierid butterfly species to infer the most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the family and curated a distribution dataset of more than 800,000 occurrences. We found strong evidence that species in environments with more stable daily temperatures or cooler maximum temperatures in the warm seasons have higher speciation rates. Furthermore, speciation and extinction rates decreased in tandem with global temperatures through geological time, resulting in a constant net diversification.

A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins.

Butterflies are a diverse and charismatic insect group that are thought to have evolved with plants and dispersed throughout the world in response to key geological events. However, these hypotheses have not been extensively tested because a comprehensive phylogenetic framework and datasets for butterfly larval hosts and global distributions are lacking. We sequenced 391 genes from nearly 2,300 butterfly species, sampled from 90 countries and 28 specimen collections, to reconstruct a new phylogenomic tree of butterflies representing 92% of all genera. Our phylogeny has strong support for nearly all nodes and demonstrates that at least 36 butterfly tribes require reclassification. Divergence time analyses imply an origin ~100 million years ago for butterflies and indicate that all but one family were present before the K/Pg extinction event. We aggregated larval host datasets and global distribution records and found that butterflies are likely to have first fed on Fabaceae and originated in what is now the Americas. Soon after the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum, butterflies crossed Beringia and diversified in the Palaeotropics. Our results also reveal that most butterfly species are specialists that feed on only one larval host plant family. However, generalist butterflies that consume two or more plant families usually feed on closely related plants.

Food Plant Shifts Drive the Diversification of Sack-Bearer Moths.

AbstractLepidoptera are a highly diverse group of herbivorous insects; however, some superfamilies have relatively few species. Two alternative hypotheses for drivers of Lepidoptera diversity are shifts in food plant use or shifts from concealed to external feeding as larvae. Many studies address the former hypothesis but with bias toward externally feeding taxa. One of the most striking examples of species disparity between sister lineages in Lepidoptera is between the concealed-feeding sack-bearer moths (Mimallonoidea), which contain about 300 species, and externally feeding Macroheterocera, which have over 74,000 species. We provide the first dated tree of Mimallonidae to understand the diversification dynamics of these moths in order to fill a knowledge gap pertaining to drivers of diversity within an important concealed-feeding clade. We find that Mimallonidae is an ancient Lepidoptera lineage that originated in the Cretaceous ∼105 million years ago and has had a close association with the plant order Myrtales for the past 40 million years. Diversification dynamics are tightly linked with food plant usage in this group. Reliance on Myrtales may have influenced diversification of Mimallonidae because clades that shifted away from the ancestral condition of feeding on Myrtales have the highest speciation rates in the family.

Is Sexual Conflict a Driver of Speciation? A Case Study With a Tribe of Brush-footed Butterflies.

Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms governing the uneven distribution of species richness across the tree of life is a great challenge in biology. Scientists have long argued that sexual conflict is a key driver of speciation. This hypothesis, however, has been highly debated in light of empirical evidence. Recent advances in the study of macroevolution make it possible to test this hypothesis with more data and increased accuracy. In the present study, we use phylogenomics combined with four different diversification rate analytical approaches to test whether sexual conflict is a driver of speciation in brush-footed butterflies of the tribe Acraeini. The presence of a sphragis, an external mating plug found in most species among Acraeini, was used as a proxy for sexual conflict. Diversification analyses statistically rejected the hypothesis that sexual conflict is associated with shifts in diversification rates in Acraeini. This result contrasts with earlier studies and suggests that the underlying mechanisms driving diversification are more complex than previously considered. In the case of butterflies, natural history traits acting in concert with abiotic factors possibly play a stronger role in triggering speciation than does sexual conflict. [Acraeini butterflies; arms race; exon capture phylogenomics; Lepidoptera macroevolution; sexual selection; sphragis.].

Revision of Roelofa Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae, Roelofinae) with a description of a new species.

The mimallonid genus Roelofa is revised. It is the only genus belonging to the recently erected subfamily, Roelofinae.Both sexes and genitalia are figured for all previously described species in the genus, and all are redescribed. The species Roelofa maera stat. rev. is no longer considered a synonym of R. narga based on morphological differences. We describe a new species from Guatemala: R. monzoni St Laurent, Herbin Kawahara, sp. n. which is most similar to the widespread Central American R. hegewischi.

A new species of Cicinnus Blanchard (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae, Cicinninae) from the mangrove ecoregions of Brazil.

A new species of Cicinnus from northern coastal Brazil is described and illustrated: C. litoralis sp. n.. The species is known from five males collected in the mangrove ecoregions of the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão (the Pará mangrove and Maranhão mangrove ecoregions respectively). This area of Brazil is poorly sampled for Mimallonidae, and the new species represents the first mimallonid considered endemic to these ecoregions. We also provide a discussion regarding the type species of Cicinnus, C. orthane Blanchard, focusing on populations from the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

Phylogenetics of moth-like butterflies (Papilionoidea: Hedylidae) based on a new 13-locus target capture probe set.

The Neotropical moth-like butterflies (Hedylidae) are perhaps the most unusual butterfly family. In addition to being species-poor, this family is predominantly nocturnal and has anti-bat ultrasound hearing organs. Evolutionary relationships among the 36 described species are largely unexplored. A new, target capture, anchored hybrid enrichment probe set ('BUTTERFLY2.0') was developed to infer relationships of hedylids and some of their butterfly relatives. The probe set includes 13 genes that have historically been used in butterfly phylogenetics. Our dataset comprised of up to 10,898 aligned base pairs from 22 hedylid species and 19 outgroups. Eleven of the thirteen loci were successfully captured from all samples, and the remaining loci were captured from ≥94% of samples. The inferred phylogeny was consistent with recent molecular studies by placing Hedylidae sister to Hesperiidae, and the tree had robust support for 80% of nodes. Our results are also consistent with morphological studies, with Macrosoma tipulata as the sister species to all remaining hedylids, followed by M. semiermis sister to the remaining species in the genus. We tested the hypothesis that nocturnality evolved once from diurnality in Hedylidae, and demonstrate that the ancestral condition was likely diurnal, with a shift to nocturnality early in the diversification of this family. The BUTTERFLY2.0 probe set includes standard butterfly phylogenetics markers, captures sequences from decades-old museum specimens, and is a cost-effective technique to infer phylogenetic relationships of the butterfly tree of life.

A global checklist of the Bombycoidea (Insecta: Lepidoptera).

BACKGROUND: Bombycoidea is an ecologically diverse and speciose superfamily of Lepidoptera. The superfamily includes many model organisms, but the taxonomy and classification of the superfamily has remained largely in disarray. Here we present a global checklist of Bombycoidea. Following Zwick (2008) and Zwick et al. (2011), ten families are recognized: Anthelidae, Apatelodidae, Bombycidae, Brahmaeidae, Carthaeidae, Endromidae, Eupterotidae, Phiditiidae, Saturniidae and Sphingidae. The former families Lemoniidae and Mirinidae are included within Brahmaeidae and Endromidae respectively. The former bombycid subfamilies Oberthueriinae and Prismostictinae are also treated as synonyms of Endromidae, and the former bombycine subfamilies Apatelodinae and Phitditiinae are treated as families. NEW INFORMATION: This checklist represents the first effort to synthesize the current taxonomic treatment of the entire superfamily. It includes 12,159 names and references to their authors, and it accounts for the recent burst in species and subspecies descriptions within family Saturniidae (ca. 1,500 within the past 10 years) and to a lesser extent in Sphingidae (ca. 250 species over the same period). The changes to the higher classification of Saturniidae proposed by Nässig et al. (2015) are rejected as premature and unnecessary. The new tribes, subtribes and genera described by Cooper (2002) are here treated as junior synonyms. We also present a new higher classification of Sphingidae, based on Kawahara et al. (2009), Barber and Kawahara (2013) and a more recent phylogenomic study by Breinholt et al. (2017), as well as a reviewed genus and species level classification, as documented by Kitching (2018).

Revision of the genus Vanenga Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of a new species.

Vanenga Schaus, 1928, like many other Mimallonidae genera being revised in recent years, has not been studied since Schaus (1928) in his revision of the family. This currently monotypic genus is entirely restricted to South America, with no known representatives in Central or North America. Prior to this work, Schaus (1928) and subsequent lists of the family (Gaede 1931, Becker 1996) have mentioned the single species Vanenga mera (Dognin, 1924) described from the Brazilian Amazon (Pará state). In Schaus (1928) this species is listed as occurring in both Amazonia and southeastern Brazil. In completing the present article, numerous "type" specimens have been discovered bearing three different manuscript names associated with the populations of southeastern Brazil and adjacent areas. Despite the fact that these names were written on various labels, the absence of any published descriptions results in them being unavailable (ICZN 1999). Therefore, this distinct southern South American species is now officially recognized and formally described, as well as providing a much more thorough distribution for both Vanenga species, including many new records for Vanenga mera.

Revision of the genus Tarema Schaus, 1896 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of a new species from southeastern Brazil.

The genus Tarema Schaus, 1896 is revised. The species Tarema fuscosa Jones, 1908 and Tarema rivara Schaus, 1896 are redescribed, the female of the former is described and figured for the first time, and the genitalia of both sexes for each species are figured for the first time. The lectotype of Tarema macarina Schaus, 1928, syn. n. is determined to be the female of Tarema rivara. Tarema brunasp. n. is described from São Paulo, Brazil. Lectotypes for Tarema fuscosa, Tarema rivara, and Tarema macarina are here designated.

Revisions of the genera Lurama Schaus, 1928 and Ulmara Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the descriptions of three new Ulmara species and a new genus.

The Andean genera Lurama Schaus, 1928 and Ulmara Schaus, 1928 are revised. Lurama poses difficulty for revision due to lost male genitalia of the types of both described species. Ulmara conjuncta sp. n., Ulmara azurula sp. n., and Ulmara dombroskiei sp. n. are described as new in the genus Ulmara. A lectotype is designated for Lurama quindiuna Schaus, 1928 and Ulmara rotunda (Dognin, 1916). A new monotypic genus, Cunicumara gen. n., which is externally similar to Ulmara, is described to include the new species Cunicumara anae sp. n. from low elevations of Bolivia and Paraguay. Male genital morphology does not support a close association of Cunicumara with Lurama or Ulmara. The latter two genera, however, are closely related based on similarities of male genitalia and biogeography.

Revision of the genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of 11 new species.

The Neotropical genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 is revised to include 18 species, 11 of which are new. Two species, Menevia ostia comb. n. and Menevia parostia comb. n. are transferred from Pamea Walker, 1855 to Menevia. Four species-groups are diagnosed for the first time based on external characters and male genitalia morphology. The following new species are described: Menevia rosea sp. n., Menevia torvamessoria sp. n., Menevia magna sp. n., Menevia menapia sp. n., Menevia mielkei sp. n., Menevia australis sp. n., Menevia vulgaris sp. n., Menevia franclemonti sp. n., Menevia vulgaricula sp. n., Menevia cordillera sp. n., and Menevia delphinus sp. n.. A neotype is designated for Mimallo plagiata Walker, 1855, which has since been placed in Menevia. Mimallo saturata Walker, 1855 is interpreted to be a nomen dubium.

Three new genera of Neotropical Mimallonidae (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with descriptions of three new species.

Three new genera of Mimallonidae are described. The monotypic genus Tostallo gen. n. is erected to contain "Perophora" albescens Jones, 1912, which was previously placed in the preoccupied genus Perophora Harris, 1841 and was never formally moved to a valid genus. Perophora is a junior homonym of Cicinnus Blanchard, 1852, but the name albescens is not appropriately placed in Cicinnus due to external and genitalia characteristics entirely unique to the species albescens. The female of Tostallo albescens comb. n. is described and both sexes are figured for the first time. Auroriana gen. n. is erected to contain Auroriana florianensis (Herbin, 2012), comb. n. previously described as Cicinnus florianensis, and two new species: Auroriana colombiana sp. n. from Colombia and Auroriana gemma sp. n. from southeastern and southern Brazil. The female of Auroriana florianensis is described and figured for the first time. Finally, the monotypic genus Micrallo gen. n. is erected to include a new species, Micrallo minutus sp. n. described from northeastern Brazil.

Revision of the genus Eadmuna Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae) with a description of a new species from French Guiana.

The genus Eadmuna Schaus, 1928 is revised to include four species. Eadmunaguianensis sp. n., is described from French Guiana and Guyana. The holotype of Perophorapulverula Schaus, 1896, currently placed in Cicinnus Blanchard, 1852, is determined to be a previously unrecognized female Eadmuna, and is transferred accordingly as Eadmunapulverula comb. n.. Eadmunapaloa Schaus, 1933, rev. status, is removed from synonymy with the type species Eadmunaesperans (Schaus, 1905). Eadmunaesperans, Eadmunapaloa, and Eadmunapulverula may be of conservation concern due to their limited extent of occurrence and endemicity to the highly imperiled Brazilian Atlantic forest.