A large-scale, higher-level, molecular phylogenetic study of the insect order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Higher-level relationships within the Lepidoptera, and particularly within the species-rich subclade Ditrysia, are generally not well understood, although recent studies have yielded progress. We present the most comprehensive molecular analysis of lepidopteran phylogeny to date, focusing on relationships among superfamilies.

Methodology principal findings

483 taxa spanning 115 of 124 families were sampled for 19 protein-coding nuclear genes, from which maximum likelihood tree estimates and bootstrap percentages were obtained using GARLI. Assessment of heuristic search effectiveness showed that better trees and higher bootstrap percentages probably remain to be discovered even after 1000 or more search replicates, but further search proved impractical even with gr

SUBMITTER: Regier JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3595289 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature