THE CLADISTICS OF AMAURIS BUTTERFLIES: CONGRUENCE, CONSENSUS AND TOTAL EVIDENCE.

Area of Science:

• * Entomology
• * Evolutionary Biology
• * Chemoecology

Background:

• * African milkweed butterflies (Nymphalidae, Danainae) include genera like Danaus, Tirumala, and Amauris.
• * Previous classifications relied on morphological data, with some genera showing limited resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To resolve the phylogenetic relationships and classification of African milkweed butterflies.
• * To compare the effectiveness of morphological versus chemical data in cladistic analysis.
• * To investigate the evolutionary patterns of semiochemicals in relation to speciation.

Main Methods:

• * Cladistic analysis of two datasets: 32 morphological characters and 68 chemical compounds from male scent organs.
• * Analysis of datasets separately and in combination for 10 species.
• * Re-analysis of morphological data for 15 Amauris species.

Main Results:

• * Combined morphological and chemical data yielded a single, well-resolved phylogenetic tree.
• * The combined dataset provided more informative results than analyses using single data types.
• * Formal recognition of two subgenera within Amauris (Amauris and Amaura) was supported.

Conclusions:

• * Integrated phylogenetic analysis enhances taxonomic resolution for African milkweed butterflies.
• * Chemical data, particularly uniquely derived compounds, can be valuable for understanding evolutionary history.
• * The findings suggest potential stepwise evolution of semiochemicals during the cladogenesis of mimetic butterflies.