A classic “escape and radiation” coevolutionary model of host shifts is examined in moths of the genus Depressaria Haworth 1811 that feed on plants of varied toxicity. A phylogeny is constructed using morphological data analyzed under the parsimony criterion, the first modern phylogeny of the subfamily that includes New World and Old World species. The results of this analysis suggest that Depressaria is monophyletic, as are historical species groups of Depressaria. Patterns of host-plant usage do not support an escape and radiation model but rather suggest that feeding on plants containing toxic furanocoumarins may be the ancestral conditions for Depressaria. Thus, a model of escape from control and colonization of more toxic hosts does not apply above the species level. Other phylogenetic results indicate Himmacia Clarke 1941 may be a basal lineage of Depressariinae and Semioscopis Hübner 1825 is not a member of this subfamily. In spite of some apparently very specialized larval features, we conclude that Hasenfussia Fetz 1994 is a member of Depressaria.
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1 July 2010
A Phylogenetic Test of Ehrlich and Raven's Theory of Escape and Radiation in Insects that Feed on Toxic Plants, Based on Nearctic Depressaria Moths (Gelechioidea: Elachistidae: Depressariinae), with Discussion of the Evolution of Genitalia
Sibyl R. Bucheli,
Steven Passoa,
John W. Wenzel
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Entomologica Americana
Vol. 116 • No. 3
July 2010
Vol. 116 • No. 3
July 2010
Depressariinae
Gelechioidea
host-plant evolution
morphology
phylogeny