Butterfly Families
Click on any Family Representative on the diagram below to go to that Family's page!

cladogram.JPG (27221 bytes)

This is a family tree that shows the way in which Idaho's eight butterfly families are related to one another.  Scientists refer to this type of family tree as a cladogram.  A cladogram is a way of demonstrating our current understanding of the evolutionary relationships of groups of organisms.  This butterfly cladogram is built on our knowledge of the physical and genetic traits of these families.

Source:
Weller, S. J., D. P. Pashley, and J. A. Martin.  1996.   Reassessment of butterfly family relationships using independent genes and morphology.  Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89:184-192.