| Hesperiidae is one of the largest families of butterflies. It includes 370 species, 83 genera and four subfamilies from China. Recently,some taxonomy and morphological systematic researches on Hesperiidae were reported. However, the molecular systematics on hesperiids from China is still very limited. In this study, we adopted four mitochondrial gene sequences (Cyt b, ND1, CO I and 16S rDNA) as molecular markers, and reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of subfamilies, tribes and gerera of Hesperiidae, in order to provide molecular evidence for systematic study for Hesperiidae.Partial sequence of Cyt b of 75 species, ND1 of 72 species, CO I of 38 species, 16S rDNA of 31 species of Hesperiidae and one outgroup species (belonging to Papilioidae) were sequenced, respectively. The base composition, ratio of transition and transversion, genetic distance and base composition bias among related taxa were analysed. According to the phylogeny based on Cyt b, ND1, CO I, 16S rDNA, Cyt b and ND1 combined data, Cyt b, ND1 and CO I combined data set using Maximum parsimony (MP), Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) and comparision of the trees inferred from the above three methods, we draw conclusions as fellows.The result of sequence variation analyses showes that the homologous of Cyt b of 106 specimen of 75 species of 48 genera from Hesperiidae is 380bp in length, including 157 conservative sites, 223 variable sites and 196 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 74.1%; the ND1 of 90 specimens of 72 species of 49 genera is 471bp in length, including 167 conservative sites, 304 variable sites and 244 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 79.5%; the CO I of 47 specimens of 38 species of 31 genera is 576bp in length, including 339 conservative sites, 237 variable sites and 201 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 69.7%; the 16S rDNA of 36 specimens of 31 species of 24 genera is 430bp in length, including 36 conservative sites, 388 variable sites and 359 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 79.6%; the combined Cyt b and ND1 of 48 species of 38 genera is 778bp in length, including 331 conservative sites, 477 variable sites and 362 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 77.1%; the combined Cyt b, ND1 and CO I of 21 species of 19 genera is 1 363bp in length, including 718 conservative sites, 645 variable sites and 544 parsimony-informative sites, and the percentage of A+T is 73.1%. All these sequences show a higher rate of transition than that of transversion.Monophyly of the Hesperiiade is strongly supported. We suggest that the Hesperiiade from China should be divided into five subfamiles: Coeliadinae, Eudaminae, Pryginae, Heteropterinae and Hesperiinae. The relationships of the five subfamilies are as follows: Coeliadinae + (Eudaminae + (Pryginae + (Heteropterinae + Hesperiinae))). Coeliadinae is a monophyletic group, and its synapomorphy have been found. The sequences of four gerera among five known gerera of this subfamily from China were obtained.Eudaminae was proposed by Waren in 2009. We confirm the systematic status of this subfamily based on sequencing molecular markers of Lobocla which is the only genus of Eudaminae occurring outside the Neotropical and Nearctic regions.Based on molecular markers of 18 genera among 23 gerera from China, the tribe Pryginae is poorly supported. Further research is needed to investigate the monophyly of this subfamily.Heteropterinae can be divided into two tribes, i.e., Heteropterini and Carterocephalini. Monophyly of Hesperiinae is also strongly supported. Seven hesperiine tribes arepartitioned with the relationship as follows: Aeromachini + (Astictopterini + (Isoteinonini + (Ancistroidini + (Taractocerini + (Hesperini + Baorini))))).The relationship of seven genera of Aeromachini was clarified. Monophyly of the tribe Astictopterini is well supported.The systematic placements of the tribe Isoteinonini and its four genera are clarified according to molecular sequences of five genera among the fifteen known genera from China.The systematic placements of the tribe Ancistroidini and its four genera from China are clarified based on analysis of molecular data. The monophyly of Taractocerini is not well supported, which includes two known genera from China.The monophyly of Hesperini of China is well supported according to the analysis based on molecular data of three known genera from China, and Thymelicus should be placed in Hesperini, instead of keeping the tribe Thymelicini to accommodate this genus.Sequences of all known seven genera of Baorini from China were obtained. According to phylogeny of three species of Polytremis, the genus Zinaida is a valid genus and should be seperated from Polytremis.Parnara guttata guttata and Parnara guttata mangala were sequenced, and the latter is found to be a diffrernt spcies, Parnara mangala.This study is a relatively large-scale analysis of mitochondrial sequences of Hesperiidae from China. It provides more molecular evidence for further systematic research of this family by clarifying the molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships of related taxa. In addition, a classification for Hesperiidae from China fauna is proposed for the first time based on molecular systematics. The placement of three tribes and 17 genera, unsolved by Warrens in 2009, are elucidated for the first time. Meanwhile, we will share these data with other researchers worldwide because of the forecoming submition of more than 270 gene sequences to GenBank, hence contributing to the phylogenetic relationships of Hesperiidae. |
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