Evolution of the mimetic African swallowtail butterfly Papilio dardanus: molecular data confirm relationships with P. phorcas and P. constantinus

Abstract

Sister group relationships of the,African Mocker Swallowtail, Papilio dardanus, were determined using mitochondrial 16S rRNA and Cytochrome B sequences, and nuclear Elongation Factor EF-1 alpha and the ITS-1 region of the ribosomal RNA locus. All four data sets placed Il dardanus as the sister species of P. phorcas, with P. constantinus as the next closest relative, and quite distinct from other African Papilios such as P. nobilis. These data support earlier morphological studies indicating that the only two African Papilio species with multiple Female colour forms have a common ancestor not shared with any other living species. This information is important for conclusions about the evolution of female-limited mimicry in swallowtail butterflies, and successful use of the ITS-1 gene opens up new possibilities for studying this phenomenon within P. dardanus.(C) 1999 The Linnean Society of London.