Preliminary molecular phylogeny of the endangered Hawaiian leaf mining moth genus Philodoria

The leaf mining moth genus Philodoria includes 30 poorly studied species that are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Most species are monophagous, feeding internally within the leaf of a single plant species, but the genus is known to feed on as many as 12 different plant families. Approximately 75% of the group’s host plants are threatened or endangered (IUCN 2012), making these moths particularly vulnerable. A comprehensive systematic treatment has not been conducted in over thirty years, and the systematics, phylogenetics, and conservation status of many of these moths remains largely unknown. In this talk, we will present preliminary data from recent systematic and phylogenetic work on Philodoria and discuss future plans to study the biogeography of the group.