MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA PHYLOGENY OF THE PRODOXIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA, INCURVARIOIDEA) INDICATES RAPID ECOLOGICAL DIVERSIFICATION OF YUCCA MOTHS

Yucca moths of the family Prodoxidae demonstrate a remarkable coevolve d mutualism with their host plants, species of the genus Yucca. Phylog enetic studies of the evolution of these interactions have been hamper ed by a lack of a robust phylogeny for this group. We inferred a phylo geny of the Prodoxidae from 780 bp of DNA sequence from the mitochondr ial cytochrome oxidase I and II genes and the intervening leucine tran sfer RNA. Generic relationships derived from mitochondrial DNA variati on across 38 prodoxid and two outgroup haplotypes were substantially c ongruent with earlier morphology-based hypotheses, but molecular data provided enough characters to resolve relationships among many taxa un resolved by morphological characteristics. Similarity of sequence dive rgence estimates among the yucca-feeding lineages suggests that divers ification of exploitative strategies in yucca moths occurred during a short period. Our results also highlight the importance of including c haracters that accumulate changes in both clocklike and episodic fashi on in phylogenetic reconstruction.