We estimated the phylog-eny of Palaearctic Syrphidae using 187 larval morphological characters obtained from about 65"% of the fauna (85 supraspecific taxa represented by 118 species) and based the analysis at the generic level. Thc root of the syrphid tree was established from an outgroup consisting of other Aschizan families: the Platypezidae, Phoridae and Pipunculidae, with the tree rooted on the Lonchopteridae. The Syrphidae was the most derived Aschizan family. 'The Pipunculidae was the sister group to the Syrphidae. Eumeru., was basal within Syrphidac. A trend exists towards increasing complexity of integumental folds arid grooves across the Aschiza. In movement, the integument collapses along the line of these grooves. Grooves are evidence of muscles forming functional groups. Elaboration of independent Lg-roups of muscles appears to underlic much of the evolution of larval form within Aschiza. The basal feeding modes of syrphid larva? arc mycopliagy and phytopha
Abstract. Syrphidae (Diptera) commonly called hoverflies, includes more than 5000 species world‐wide. The aim of this study was to address the systematic position of the disputed elements in the intrafamilial classification of Syrphidae, namely the monophyly of Eristalinae and the placement of Microdontini and Pipizini, as well as the position of particular genera (Nausigaster, Alipumilio, Spheginobaccha). Sequence data from nuclear 28S rRNA and mitochondrial COI genes in conjunction with larval and adult morphological characters of fifty‐one syrphid taxa were analysed using optimization alignment to explore phylogenetic relationships among included taxa. A species of Platypezidae, Agathomyia unicolor, was used as outgroup, and also including one representative (Jassidophaga villosa) of the sister‐group of Syrphidae, Pipunculidae. Sensitivity of the data was assessed under six different parameter values. A stability tree summarized the results. Microdontini, including Spheginobaccha, was placed basally, and Pipizini appeared as the sister‐group to subfamily Syrphinae. The monophyly of subfamily Eristalinae was supported. The results support at least two independent origins of entomophagy in syrphids, and frequent shifts between larval feeding habitats within the saprophagous eristalines.
We estimated the phylog-eny of Palaearctic Syrphidae using 187 larval morphological characters obtained from about 65"% of the fauna (85 supraspecific taxa represented by 118 species) and based the analysis at the generic level. Thc root of the syrphid tree was established from an outgroup consisting of other Aschizan families: the Platypezidae, Phoridae and Pipunculidae, with the tree rooted on the Lonchopteridae. The Syrphidae was the most derived Aschizan family. 'The Pipunculidae was the sister group to the Syrphidae. Eumeru., was basal within Syrphidac. A trend exists towards increasing complexity of integumental folds arid grooves across the Aschiza. In movement, the integument collapses along the line of these grooves. Grooves are evidence of muscles forming functional groups. Elaboration of independent Lg-roups of muscles appears to underlic much of the evolution of larval form within Aschiza. The basal feeding modes of syrphid larva? arc mycopliagy and phytopha
This paper describes the early stages and life histories of the syrphids Eumerus obliquus (Fabricius, 1805), E. pulchellus Loew, 1848, E. pusillus Loew, 1848, Merodon constans (Rossi, 1794) and M. luteihumerus Marcos-Garcia, Vujic & Mengual, 2007 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Spain and Morocco. E. pulchellus, E. pusillus and M. luteihumerus were found inside bulbs of Urginea maritima (L.) Baker and E. pulchellus additionally in tubers of Asphodelus aestivus Brot. These data are some ofthe few obtained of natural plant relationships in these speciesrich genera. E. obliquus was found in fruits and platyclades of Opuntia maxima Mill., both insect and host plant are introductions. M. constans was found in commercially grown bulbs of Muscari comosum (L.) Mill. The Eumerus larvae studied here appear to more saprophagous than phytophagous but M. luteihumerus at least, seems to be a strict phytophage.
We test a near‐complete genus level phylogeny of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) for consistency with a null model of clade growth having uniform probabilities of speciation and extinction among contemporaneous species. The phylogeny is too unbalanced for this null model. Importantly, the degree of imbalance in the phylogeny depends on whether the phylogeny is analysed at the genus level or species level, suggesting that genera ought not to be used uncritically as surrogates for species in large‐scale evolutionary analyses. Tests for a range of morphological, life‐history and ecological correlates of diversity give equivocal results, but suggest that high species‐richness may be associated with sexual selection and diet breadth. We find no correlation between species‐richness and either body size or reproductive rate.
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