Higher level phylogeny for the passion-vine butterflies (Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) based on early stage and adult morphology

A higher level phylogeny for the passion-vine butterflies (Nymphalidae, Hel iconiinae) was generated by cladistic analysis of 146 morphological charact ers from all life stages. The 24 species studied were selected representati ves of the ten currently accepted genera of the subtribe Heliconiiti. Analy ses of only characters from larvae and pupae did not produce well resolved trees. However, some characters of the immature stages provided critical su pport for the monophyly of two clades. Analysis of only adult characters yi elded a tree that closely resembled that obtained from all data combined. T he phylogeny here derived from the combined analysis of early stage and adu lt characters differed in topology from all previously proposed hypotheses, and supported the monophyly of all currently recognized genera. Characters supporting each clade are described and illustrated, and various hypothese s of phylogenetic relatedness of passion-vine butterfly taxa are discussed. (C) 1999 The Linnean Society of London.