Mitochondrial DNA sequence, morphology and ecology yield contrasting conservation implications for two threatened buckmoths (Hemileuca: Saturniidae)

Taxa of conservation interest are frequently identified using morphological or ecological characters. These characters are assumed to represent evolutionary importance, population structure and/or phylogenetic relationships in such organisms. We tested this assumption using two species complexes of the moth genus Hemileuca Saturniidae). Both have populations threatened by habitat loss and need conservation protection. Legislation protects one taxon with apparent ecological differences. We sequenced 624 base pairs of mtDNA from the COI gene for geographically distant populations of the Hemileuca maia species complex and the H. electra species complex. Resultant phylogenies contradict prior assumptions about relationships in both species complexes. The legislatively protected Bog Buckmoth is paraphyletic with widespread H. maia, and its use of a novel hostplant seems to be a local adaptation. Divergent morphology and hostplant use among H. electra subspecies are associated with modest genetic divergence (0.48