Phylogenetic analysis of tribe Neptini Newman, 1870 based on COI gene (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Limenitidinae)

Abstract

Papilionoidea Latreille, 1802 are widely recognized for their ecological significance, diverse morphology, and role as bioindicators of environmental health. Among the numerous tribes within the subfamily Limenitidinae Behr, 1864, the tribe Neptini Newman, 1870 comprises a distinct group of brushfooted species predominantly distributed across the Oriental and Palearctic regions. The tribe includes several genera, with Neptis Fabricius, 1807 being the most speciose and widespread. The current research aims to reconstruct the phylogenetic trees by amplifying the partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene COI to produce a DNA reference library and determine the evolutionary relationships among the species of tribe Neptini. Sequences of COI gene of eight species have been submitted to NCBI. The examination of nucleotide composition at the first, second, and third codon locations revealed a considerable A + T bias, particularly at the third codon position. Genetic divergence based on COI ranges from 5.0% to 11.4% of presently studies species. 1000 bootstrapped Neighbor-joining with Kimura-2 parameter and Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree constructed based on COI gene sequences.