Phylogeny and divergence time estimation of Io moths and relatives (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Automeris)

Author:

Skojec Chelsea12,Earl Chandra3,Couch Christian D.12,Masonick Paul1,Kawahara Akito Y.12

Affiliation:

1. McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America

2. Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America

3. Bishop Museum, Bernice Pauahi, Honolulu, HI, United States of America

Abstract

The saturniid moth genus Automeris includes 145 described species. Their geographic distribution ranges from the eastern half of North America to as far south as Peru. Automeris moths are cryptically colored, with forewings that resemble dead leaves, and conspicuously colored, elaborate eyespots hidden on their hindwings. Despite their charismatic nature, the evolutionary history and relationships within Automeris and between closely related genera, remain poorly understood. In this study, we present the most comprehensive phylogeny of Automeris to date, including 80 of the 145 described species. We also incorporate two morphologically similar hemileucine genera, Pseudautomeris and Leucanella, as well as a morphologically distinct genus, Molippa. We obtained DNA data from both dry-pinned and ethanol-stored museum specimens and conducted Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) sequencing to assemble a high-quality dataset for phylogenetic analysis. The resulting phylogeny supports Automeris as a paraphyletic genus, with Leucanella and Pseudautomeris nested within, with the most recent common ancestor dating back to 21 mya. This study lays the foundation for future research on various aspects of Automeris biology, including geographical distribution patterns, potential drivers of speciation, and ecological adaptations such as antipredator defense mechanisms.

Funder

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

National Science Foundation

Publisher

PeerJ

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