The phylogeny of stiletto flies (Diptera: Therevidae)

Abstract

The therevoid clade represents a group of four families (Apsilocephalidae, Evocoidae, Scenopinidae and Therevidae) of lower brachyceran Diptera in the superfamily Asiloidea. The largest of these families is that of the stiletto flies (Therevidae). A large-scale (i.e. supermatrix) phylogeny of Therevidae is presented based on DNA sequence data from seven genetic loci (16S, 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA and four protein-encoding genes: elongation factor 1-alpha, triose phosphate isomerase, short-wavelength rhodopsin and the CPSase region of carbamoyl-phosphate synthase-aspartate transcarbamoylase-dihydroorotase). Results are presented from Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of approximately 8.7 kb of sequence data for 204 taxa representing all subfamilies and genus groups of Therevidae. Our results strongly support the sister-group relationship between Therevidae and Scenopinidae, with Apsilocephalidae as sister to Evocoidae. Previous estimates of stiletto fly phylogeny based on morphology or DNA sequence data, or supertree analysis, have failed to find significant support for relationships among subfamilies. We report for the first time strong support for the placement of the subfamily Phycinae as sister to the remaining Therevidae, originating during the Mid Cretaceous. As in previous studies, the sister-group relationship between the species-rich subfamilies Agapophytinae and Therevinae is strongly supported. Agapophytinae are recovered as monophyletic, inclusive of the Taenogera group. Therevinae comprise the bulk of the species richness in the family and appear to be a relatively recent and rapid radiation originating in the southern hemisphere (Australia + Antarctica + South America) during the Late Cretaceous. Genus groups are defined for all subfamilies based on these results.

Evolution of Lower Brachyceran Flies (Diptera) and Their Adaptive Radiation with Angiosperms

“…Molecular models and biogeography support a Late Mesozoic diversification of asiloids, with Bombyliidae at the base of the Asiloidea (Winterton et al, 2015; Grimaldi, 2016). Unambiguous Mesozoic bombyliids are extremely rare.…”

New genera of Australian stiletto flies (Diptera, Therevidae)

“…Two of the four subfamilies of therevidae are present in Australasia, Agapophytinae (209 species in 23 genera) and Therevinae (166 spp. in 3 gen.) (Winterton 2009, 2011; Winterton et al 2016); Xestomyzinae and Phycusinae (previously Phycinae) (Gaimari et al 2013; ICZN 2015) are entirely absent from the region. All agapophytine genera and all but one therevine genus (i.e., Irwiniella Lyneborg, 1976) are endemic to Australasia.…”

“…Numerous publications describing new subfamilies, genera and species of Australian therevids have been published over the last 10 years (e.g., Ferguson et al 2013, 2014; Winterton 2007a-d, 2009, 2011a, b; Winterton and Ferguson 2012; Winterton and Lambkin 2012; Lambkin and Turco 2013) including overarching phylogenies of the family by Lambkin et al (2009) and Winterton et al (2016), yet new genera and species continue to be discovered and described. Herein we describe two new genera of agapophytine therevids from Australia, Sidarena gen. n. (Figs 1–2) and Zelothrix gen. n. (Fig.…”

“…3). Both genera were recovered as sister groups (both identified as ‘undescribed genus S’) in the recent paper on therevid phylogeny by Winterton et al (2016) and appear closely related to genera such as Taenogerella Winterton & Irwin and Actenomeros Winterton & Irwin. The new genera are diagnosed and keys to species are presented for each.…”

The State of Phylogenetic Analysis: Narrow Visions and Simple Answers—Examples from the Diptera (flies)

“…Group after group is being sequenced and the resultant phylogenies abound (e.g., Buenaventura et al, 2016;Caravas & Friedrich, 2013;Chapman et al, 2012;Ding et al, 2015;Haseyama et al, 2015;Semelbauer, 2016;Ševčík, 2016;Wang et al, 2016;Winkler et al, 2015;Winterton et al, 2016;Young et al, 2016a;. Molecular analyses are promising to give final answers (Trautwein et al, 2017;Yeates et al, 2016) and morphological analyses are often as straightforward as scoring variable character states in a matrix, choosing a few taxa as outgroups and determining the most parsimonious tree with a program (and options) of choice (usually PAUP or Mesquite + TNT).…”