The Callimorphini includes some of the most spectacular and well-studied pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) sequestering moth species (Utetheisa Hübner, Amerila Walker). The tribe as currently defined is paraphyletic with respect to Pericopini and Phaegopterini. Further, the relationships and monophyly of the genera remain to be resolved despite several taxonomic treatments. We examined 164 adults representing 22 of 31 genera (71%) and 64 of 218 species. Outgroups were selected from Arctiini. Pericopini and Phaegopterini were included to determine the limits of the tribes. Whole body dissections were examined, and 50 characters (216 states) were defined and scored. Data were analyzed using maximum parsimony implemented with Paup* (heuristic search, random reps), and standard decay indices were obtained. Taxon jackknifing was used to examine the impact of including Pericopini and Phaegoterini on the resolution of the Callimorphini ss and placement of problematic genera.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Arctiidae
Keywords: tiger moth, systematics
Back to Student Competition Ten-Minute Papers, A1, Systematics, Morphology, and Evolution
Back to Student Competition TMP Orals
Back to The 2003 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition