MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA PHYLOGENY OF BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLIES (GENUS GONEPTERYX) FROM THE CANARY-ISLANDS AND MADEIRA

Part of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene was sequenced for seven species of Gonepteryx (Pieridae) butterflies. Four of the specie s are island endemics inhabiting the Canary Island archipelago and Mad eira. The remaining three are European and African conspecifics. Seque nce data were analysed phylogenetically by maximum parsimony and maxim um likelihood methods. The resulting trees were used to deduce Canaria n species' ancestry, sequential inter-island colonization and systemat ics. They suggest African ancestry for the Canary Island taxa and a co lonization pattern, within the archipelago, compatible with the geolog ical ages of the islands and other Canarian fauna. a colonization sequ ence from Africa to Tenerife and Gomera, followed by Tenerife to La Pa lma. The molecular phylogeny indicated that there are three Canarian e ndemics, G. cleobule, G. palmae and G. eversi from Tenerife, La Palma and Gomera, respectively. (C) 1998 The Linnean Society of London.