2 NUCLEAR GENES YIELD CONCORDANT RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN ATTACINI (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIIDAE)

To extend initial characterizations of their phylogenetic utility, seq uences from the nuclear genes for elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1 alph a) and dopa decarboxylase (DDC) are tested for phylogenetic concordanc e with each other and with previous morphological evidence within the giant silk moth tribe Attacini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). The samplin g of DDC is expanded from the 690 basepairs of previous studies to 105 1 basepairs in the current study. All nine attacine genera are sampled . EF-1 alpha and DDC agree in the placement of seven of nine genera, w ith placement of the other two not in strong conflict. Combination of the gene sequences results in a nearly fully resolved tree that is con sistent with EF-1 alpha alone and agrees with morphology in five of ei ght groups. Conflict between molecules and morphology is confined to d eeper-level relationships within Attacini, where node support for the molecular hypotheses, but not the morphological hypotheses, is general ly very strong. A strong signal is contributed by synonymous substitut ions in both genes, and by nonsynonymous change particularly in DDC. T he molecular phylogeny supports a revision of attacine biogeography in that neither East Asian nor New World genera form monophyletic groups . (C) 1998 Academic Press.