Phylogenetic relationships of Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in China based on seven gene fragments

The butterfly family Pieridae includes approximately 1000 described extant species distributed worldwide. Among these, 154 species belonging to 24 genera are recorded in China. There has been no previous comprehensive phylogenetic study of the molecular phylogeny of Chinese pierids based on molecular data. In this study, 52 species representing 21 genera distributed in China were sampled. We reconstructed their evolutionary history based on four mitochondrial (COII, ND1, Cytb and 16S rDNA) and three nuclear (28S rRNA (D2-D3), 28S rRNA (D8) and EF-1 alpha) gene fragments using maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). Our results are congruent with recent studies and support the monophyly of three subfamilies, with Dismorphiinae sister to Coliadinae + Pierinae. Relationships among five genera of Coliadinae are: Eurema + (Dercas + (Goneperyx + (Catopsilia + Colias))). Relationships among the largest subfamily Pierinae are consistently recovered as follows: Leptosiaini + ((Nepheroniini + Teracolini) + (Anthocharidini + Pierini)). The division of three subgenera of Aporia (Aporia, Metaporia and Mesapia) is not supported because both the Aporia (Aporia) and Aporia (Metaporia) are found to be strongly paraphyletic, with Mesapia nested within Aporia sensu lato.