Phylogeny of Myrmeleontiformia based on larval morphology (Neuropterida: Neuroptera)

The suborder Myrmeleontiformia is a derived lineage of lacewings (Insecta: Neuroptera) including the families Psychopsidae, Nemopteridae, Nymphidae, Ascalaphidae and Myrmeleontidae. In particular, Myrmeleontidae (antlions) are the most diverse neuropteran family, representing a conspicuous component of the insect fauna of xeric environments. We present the first detailed quantitative phylogenetic analysis of Myrmeleontiformia, based on 107 larval morphological and behavioural characters for 36 genera whose larvae are known (including at least one representative of all the subfamilies of the suborder). Four related families were used as outgroups to polarize character states. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using both parsimony and Bayesian methods. The reconstructions resulting from our analyses corroborate the monophyly of Myrmeleontiformia. Within this clade, Psychopsidae are recovered as the sister family to all the remaining taxa. Nemopteridae (including both subfamilies Nemopterinae and Crocinae) are recovered as monophyletic and sister to the clade comprising Nymphidae + (Myrmeleontidae + Ascalaphidae). Nymphidae consist of two well‐supported clades corresponding to the subfamilies Nymphinae and Myiodactylinae. Our results suggest that Ascalaphidae may not be monophyletic, as they collapse into an unresolved polytomy under the Bayesian analysis. In addition, the recovered phylogenetic relationships diverge from the traditional classification scheme for ascalaphids. Myrmeleontidae are reconstructed as monophyletic, with the subfamilies Stilbopteryginae, Palparinae and Myrmeleontinae. We retrieved a strongly supported clade comprising taxa with a fossorial habit of the preimaginal instars, which represents a major antlion radiation, also including the monophyletic pit‐trap building species.     

World revision of Dolichocolon Brauer & Bergenstamm (Diptera: Tachinidae: Exoristinae: Goniini)

The Palaeotropical goniine genus Dolichocolon Brauer & Bergenstamm is revised and analysed cladistically. Seventeen new species are described from Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory), Cameroon, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Thailand, Uganda, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. The following new synonymy is proposed after direct comparison of primary types: Dolichocolon klapperichi Mesnil, 1967 = Dolichocolon orientale Townsend, 1927 syn. nov. A key to the 21 known species is presented. A cladistic analysis based on 36 morphological characters provides support for the monophyly of Dolichocolon. A sister‐group relationship is indicated between Dolichocolon and Kuwanimyia Townsend, whereas Dolichocolon chiangmaiensis sp. nov. from Thailand takes a position as sister group to all other Dolichocolon species. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 162 , 544–584.     

Signal through the noise? Phylogeny of the Tachinidae (Diptera) as inferred from morphological evidence

The oestroid family Tachinidae represents one of the most diverse lineages of insect parasitoids. Despite their broad distribution, diversity and important role as biological control agents, the phylogeny of this family remains poorly known. Here, we review the history of tachinid systematics and present the first quantitative phylogenetic analysis of the family based on morphological data. Cladistic analyses were conducted using 135 morphological characters from 492 species belonging to 180 tachinid genera, including the four currently recognized subfamilies (Dexiinae, Exoristinae, Phasiinae, Tachininae) and all major tribes. We used characters of eggs, first‐instar larvae and adults of both sexes. We examined the effects of implied weighting by reanalysing the data with varying concavity factors. Our analysis generally supports the subfamily groupings Dexiinae + Phasiinae and Tachininae + Exoristinae, with only the Exoristinae and the Phasiinae reconstructed as monophyletic assemblages under a wide range of weighting schemes. Under these conditions, the Dexiinae, which were previously considered a well‐established monophyletic assemblage, are reconstructed as being paraphyletic with respect to the Phasiinae. The Tachininae are reconstructed as a paraphyletic grade from which the monophyletic Exoristinae arose. The Exoristinae are reconstructed as a monophyletic lineage, but phylogenetic relationships within the subfamily are largely unresolved. We further explored the evolution of oviposition strategy and found that the oviparous groups are nested within ovolarviparous assemblages, suggesting that ovipary may have evolved several times independently from ovolarviparous ancestors. This counterintuitive pattern is a novel hypothesis suggested by the results of this analysis. Finally, two major patterns emerge when considering host associations across our phylogeny under equal weights: (i) although more than 60% of tachinids are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae, none of the basal clades is unambiguously associated with Lepidoptera as a primitive condition, suggesting that tachinids were slow to colonize these hosts, but then radiated extensively on them; and (ii) there is general agreement between host use and monophyly of the major lineages.     

Remarkable Rhinophoridae in a growing generic genealogy (Diptera: Calyptratae,Oestroidea)

Four new genera (Apomorphyto gen.n. from Costa Rica, Bixinia gen.n. from Australia, Rhinodonia gen.n. from New Caledonia, Rhinopeza gen.n. from Papua New Guinea) and nine new species (Apomorphyto inbio sp.n. , Bixinia collessi sp.n. , B. solitaria sp.n. , B. spei sp.n. , B. variabilis sp.n. , B. winkleri sp.n. , Rhinodonia antiqua sp.n. , R. flavicera sp.n. , Rhinopeza gracilis sp.n.) of Rhinophoridae (Diptera: Calyptratae, Oestroidea) are described. All new species were included in a morphology‐based phylogenetic analysis to provide arguments for the justification and monophyly (when nonmonotypic) of the new genera and for including these in the Rhinophoridae. The New Caledonian Rhinodonia is a candidate sister taxon to all other rhinophorids, and the Australasian ‘axiniine’ species emerge inside a clade of all Neotropical taxa thus suggesting migration from South America across Antarctica into Australia. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:51C1F448‐DDD0‐4F14‐8173‐B8C687F7E841 .