Cryptic diversity in a vagile Hawaiian moth group suggests complex factors drive diversification

Abstract

Allopatric speciation should be the dominant model of diversification across archipelagos because islands naturally promote isolation. It also follows that ecologically similar, vagile species should be more resistant to this kind of isolation due to dispersal and unifying selection. In a closely-related group of endemic Hawaiian hawkmoths, we found confounding patterns of inter-island connectivity and speciation that did not correlate with vagility, ecological specialization, or island age. Speciation occurred both in allopatric and sympatric taxa, with only the oldest and youngest islands fostering single-island endemic species. The intermediately-sized, central islands supported a combination of endemic and more widely-occurring lineages, suggesting no clear pattern leading to the current diversity in Hawaii. While some species are relatively common, others are apparently extinct or very rare, even on the same island. Further research into the specific mechanisms for these patterns in Hyles may prove broadly informative for understanding both cladogenesis and improving conservation planning. Our study identifies one new species endemic to Kauai and unique mitochondrial lineages in H. perkinsi, which may prove to be new species.