Showing papers by "Niklas Wahlberg published in 2010"
TL;DR: A rigorous and comprehensive analysis of lepidopteran affinities found Ditrysia to be a monophyletic taxon with the clade Tischerioidea + Palaephatoidea being the sister group of it and Butterflies were found to be more closely related to ‘microlepidopterans’ groups of moths rather than the clades Macrolepidoptera, where they have traditionally been placed.
Abstract: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) represent one of the most diverse animals groups. Yet, the phylogeny of advanced ditrysian Lepidoptera, accounting for about 99 per cent of lepidopteran species, has remained largely unresolved. We report a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of lepidopteran affinities. We performed phylogenetic analyses of 350 taxa representing nearly 90 per cent of lepidopteran families. We found Ditrysia to be a monophyletic taxon with the clade Tischerioidea + Palaephatoidea being the sister group of it. No support for the monophyly of the proposed major internested ditrysian clades, Apoditrysia, Obtectomera and Macrolepidoptera, was found as currently defined, but each of these is supported with some modification. The monophyly or near-monophyly of most previously identified lepidopteran superfamilies is reinforced, but several species-rich superfamilies were found to be para- or polyphyletic. Butterflies were found to be more closely related to ‘microlepidopteran’ groups of moths rather than the clade Macrolepidoptera, where they have traditionally been placed. There is support for the monophyly of Macrolepidoptera when butterflies and Calliduloidea are excluded. The data suggest that the generally short diverging nodes between major groupings in basal non-tineoid Ditrysia are owing to their rapid radiation, presumably in correlation with the radiation of flowering plants.
318 citations
TL;DR: The biogeographic history of the butterfly subtribe Euptychiina (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) is summarized in Peña, C., Nylin, S., Freitas, A. V. & Wahlberg, N. L. (2010).
Abstract: The diverse butterfly subtribe Euptychiina was thought to be restricted to the Americas. However, there is mounting evidence for the Oriental Palaeonympha opalina being part of Euptychiina and thus ...
94 citations
TL;DR: The present phylogenetic hypothesis supports the conclusions of the "adaptive story", a hypothesis of the sequence of evolutionary events leading to flightlessness, and supported the previously established morphology-based division of Ennominae into "ennomine" and "boarmiine" groups of genera.
56 citations
TL;DR: The results corroborate and greatly increase support for prior hypotheses based on morphology alone, and a new index summarizing incongruence among data partitions, the Partition Congruence Proportion (PCP), is introduced.
Abstract: Cladistic relationships among genera and subtribes of Danaini (the milkweed butterflies) were inferred by analysis of data combined from five sources: morphology of adults and immature stages, and DNA sequences from three gene regions. The results corroborate and greatly increase support for prior hypotheses based on morphology alone. A new index summarizing incongruence among data partitions, the Partition Congruence Proportion (PCP), is introduced. The significance of the inferred pattern of phylogenetic relationships for comparative chemical ecology of milkweed butterflies is briefly discussed.
47 citations
TL;DR: The phylogeny suggests that the group Mycalesina had its origin either in Asia or Africa, and diversified through dispersals between the two regions, during the late Oligocene and early Miocene.
Abstract: Butterflies of the subtribe Mycalesina (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) are important model organisms in ecology and evolution. This group has radiated spectacularly in the Old World tropics and presents an exciting opportunity to better understand processes of invertebrate rapid radiations. However, the generic-level taxonomy of the subtribe has been in a constant state of flux, and relationships among genera are unknown. There are six currently recognized genera in the group. Mycalesis, Lohora and Nirvanopsis are found in the Oriental region, the first of which is the most speciose genus among mycalesines, and extends into the Australasian region. Hallelesis and Bicyclus are found in mainland Africa, while Heteropsis is primarily Madagascan, with a few species in Africa. We infer the phylogeny of the group with data from three genes (total of 3139 bp) and use these data to reconstruct events in the biogeographic history of the group. The results indicate that the group Mycalesina radiated rapidly around the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. Basal relationships are unresolved, but we recover six well-supported clades. Some species of Mycalesis are nested within a primarily Madagascan clade of Heteropsis, while Nirvanopsis is nested within Lohora. The phylogeny suggests that the group had its origin either in Asia or Africa, and diversified through dispersals between the two regions, during the late Oligocene and early Miocene. The current dataset tentatively suggests that the Madagascan fauna comprises two independent radiations. The Australasian radiation shares a common ancestor derived from Asia. We discuss factors that are likely to have played a key role in the diversification of the group. We propose a significantly revised classification scheme for Mycalesina. We conclude that the group originated and radiated from an ancestor that was found either in Asia or Africa, with dispersals between the two regions and to Australasia. Our phylogeny paves the way for further comparative studies on this group that will help us understand the processes underlying diversification in rapid radiations of invertebrates.
39 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that Wallacea was the area of origin of all Charaxes (excluding C. solon) occurring to the east of Wallace’s [1863] Line, and the first systematic appraisal and classification of all non-African species is presented.
Abstract: The predominantly Afrotropical genus Charaxes is represented by 31 known species outside of Africa (excluding subgenus Polyura Billberg). We explored the biogeographic history of the genus using every known non-African species, with several African species as outgroup taxa. A phylogenetic hypothesis is proposed, based on molecular characters of the mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5), and the nuclear wingless gene. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference of the combined dataset implies that the Indo-Pacific Charaxes form a monophyletic assemblage, with the exception of Charaxes solon Fabricius. Eight major lineages are recognized in the Indo-Pacific, here designated the solon (+African), elwesi, harmodius, amycus, mars, eurialus, latona, nitebis, and bernardus clades. Species group relationships are concordant with morphology and, based on the phylogeny, we present the first systematic appraisal and classification of all non-African species. A biogeographical analysis reveals that, after the genus originated in Africa, the evolutionary history of Charaxes in the Indo-Pacific, in particular Wallacea, may be correlated with the inferred geological and climatic history of the region. We propose that Wallacea was the area of origin of all Charaxes (excluding C. solon) occurring to the east of Wallace’s [1863] Line. The earliest Indo-Pacific lineages appear to have diverged subsequent to the initial fragmentation of a palaeo-continent approximately 13 million years ago. Further diversification in Indo-Pacific Charaxes appears primarily related to climatic changes during the Pliocene and possibly as recently as the Pleistocene. Although both dispersal and vicariance have played important roles in the evolution of the genus within the region, the latter has been particularly responsible for diversification of Charaxes in Wallacea. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 457–481. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: biogeography – DIVA – Miocene – molecular phylogeny – plate tectonics – Pliocene.
33 citations
TL;DR: The study highlights the importance of testing different outgroups rather than using results from a single outgroup combination of a few taxa, particularly in difficult cases where basal nodes appear to receive low support.
30 citations
TL;DR: An analysis of the evolution of larval–foodplant associations shows that although monophagous Violaceae-feeding is the original feeding strategy within Boloria, numerous host-shifts or broadenings of diet have happened, and inherent plasticity in host choice has likely been an important factor in the diversification in alpine and arctic environments by Boloria.
Abstract: Boloria is restricted to cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, and represents a model for understanding recent diversification of phytophagous insects in the Holarctic region. We infer the phylogeny of the genus based on characters from adult morphology and three genes (COI, EF1-α and wingless). We revise the subgenus level classification, and divide the genus into three subgenera, corroborating earlier works. The largest subgenus, Clossiana, is divided into nine informal species groups. A relaxed Bayesian clock analysis combined with a dispersal-vicariance analysis shows that the genus originated and first diversified in the Central Palaearctic region in the Middle Eocene. This region has remained important throughout the evolution of the genus, but independent diversifications also occurred in the Nearctic region. At least nine independent dispersal events between the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions are needed to explain the current distribution of the genus, whereas vicariance appears to have pla...
21 citations
TL;DR: The purpose of this application, under Article 2393 of the Code, is to conserve the widely used generic name Maculinea Van Eecke, 1915 in its accustomed usage.
Abstract: The purpose of this application, under Article 2393 of the Code, is to conserve the widely used generic name Maculinea Van Eecke, 1915 in its accustomed usage The name Maculinea Van Eecke, 1915 is threatened by its senior synonym Phengaris Doherty, 1891 It is proposed that Maculinea be given precedence over the other name whenever the two are considered to be synonyms
20 citations
TL;DR: Robustness of pestivirus phylogenies has been compared by analyses of the 5'UTR, and complete N(pro) and E2 gene regions separately and combined, performed by four methods: neighbour-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian inference (BI).
15 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: It is proposed that Maculinea be given precedence over the other name whenever the two are considered to be synonyms.
Abstract: The purpose of this application, under Article 23.9.3 of the Code, is to conserve the widely used generic name Maculinea Van Eecke, 1915 in its accustomed usage. The name Maculinea Van Eecke, 1915 is threatened by its senior synonym Phengaris Doherty, 1891. It is proposed that Maculinea be given precedence over the other name whenever the two are considered to be synonyms.