Data from: Origin and macroevolution of micro-moths on sunken Hawaiian islands

The origins and evolution of Hawaiian biodiversity are a matter of
controversy, and the mechanisms of lineage diversification for many
organisms on this remote archipelago remain unclear. Here we focus on the
poorly-known endemic leaf-mining moth genus Philodoria (Lepidoptera,
Gracillariidae), whose species feed on a diversity of Hawaiian plant
lineages, many of which are critically endangered. We use anchored hybrid
enrichment to assemble the first phylogenomic dataset (507 loci) for any
Hawaiian animal taxon. To uncover the timing and pattern of
diversification of these moths, we apply two frequently used dating
calibration strategies, biogeographic calibrations and secondary
calibrations. Island calibrations on their own resulted in much younger
and unrealistic dates compared to strategies that relied on secondary
calibrations. Our dating results indicate that Philodoria is among the
oldest known Hawaiian arthropod lineages. Philodoria likely originated on
the now partially sunken islands of Laysan or Lisianski, approximately 21
million years ago, and were associated with host plants in the families
Ebenaceae, Malvaceae, or Primulaceae. Major feeding groups associated with
specific host plant families originated soon after the plants colonize the
islands. Allopatric isolation and host shifts, in concert and
independently, likely play major roles in the diversification of
Philodoria.