基于28S rRNA基因序列的常见有瓣蝇类的系统发育

用中国产双翅目有瓣蝇类6科15种和GenBank中登录的5科6种有瓣蝇类昆虫的28SrDNA序列片段组合成7科21种,进行同源性比较。应用Mega3.0软件,探讨了28S rRNA基因在有瓣蝇类的分子进化机制;以黑腹果蝇Drosophilia melanogaster为外群,NJ和MP法构建了上述类群的分子系统树。研究结果表明:在获得的698bp的序列中,有126个变异位点,101个简约信息位点;A T含量平均为68.8%,存在较强的A T含量偏向性。分子系统树中,所有内群聚为一支,支持有瓣蝇类为一单系。内群分别聚为2大支:丽蝇科和麻蝇科关系较近于寄蝇科,组成较进化的狂蝇总科;蝇科与花蝇科聚合的类群为蝇总科,上述结果与现代形态分类系统相同。但粪蝇科和厕蝇科脱离蝇总科,与狂蝇总科聚为一支,与现代形态分类系统不一致。     

常用核基因序列在双翅目昆虫系统学中的研究进展

双翅目昆虫分为长角亚目和短角亚目,前者主要类群包括蚊、蠓、蛉和蚋,后者主要类群为虻类和蝇类。国内外学者对双翅目昆虫形态分类和分子系统发育关系研究均较多。本文整理总结了几种主要核基因在双翅目昆虫进化和系统发育关系的研究资料,结果显示:双翅目的单系性得到了众多形态学、生物学和分子数据的支持,多数系统发育研究认为传统的长角亚目为并系,短角亚目是一个单系,其主要类群舞虻下目、环裂类、有缝组和有瓣蝇类均为单系,但非环裂类、无缝组为并系,无瓣类可能为并系;基本搞清了有重要医学意义和与环境关系密切的类群,特别是有瓣蝇类各科类群分类系统的进化关系;双翅目昆虫发生辐射进化的三个分支节点时间即:低等双翅目(蚊类)2.2亿年、低等短角亚目(虻类)1.8亿年、有缝组(蝇类)6500万年;大量双翅目昆虫自然生命史历经吸血性、植食性和寄生性,有2.6亿年以上的演化历程。从相关核基因研究中总结出:18SrRNA、28SrRNA和CAD基因能很好的解决高级阶元从目到属的系统发育问题;EF-1ɑ基因和White基因更适合从科到属水平的分类阶元;ITS基因一般应用在从属到种水平的低级分类阶元,并被广泛应用到双翅目昆虫分子系统学研究中。     

关于停止使用"同翅目Homoptera" 目名的建议

长期以来,在我国昆虫学界,“同翅目Homoptera”和半翅目Hemiptera一直被作为2个并列的昆虫目被广泛使用。传统的“同翅目”被分为3亚目10总科,即鞘喙亚目Coleorrhyncha(包括膜翅蝽总科Peloridioidea)、胸喙亚目Stemorrhyncha(包括木虱总科Psylloidea、粉虱总科Aleyrodoidea、蚧总科Coccoidea和蚜总科Aphidoidea)和头喙亚目Auchenorrhyncha[包括蜡蝉子亚目Fulgoromorpha(包括蜡蝉总科Fulgoroidea)和蝉子亚目Cicadomorpha(包括蝉总科Cicadoidea、沫蝉总科Cercopoidea、叶蝉总科Cicadelloidea和角蝉总科Membracoidea)]。近年来,形态学及分子学特征数据的支序分析研究表明,木虱总科、粉虱总科、蚧总科、蚜总科、蜡蝉总科、蝉总科、沫蝉总科、角蝉总科都是单系群;鞘喙亚目、胸喙亚目、蝉子亚目及蜡蝉子亚目也都是单系群,其相互之间的系统发育关系为：胸喙亚目 (蝉子亚目 (蜡蝉子亚目 (鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目(蝽类)))),它们共同组成了单系的半翅目Hemiptera。系统发育分析表明,在半翅目中,鞘喙亚目与异翅亚目具有最近的亲缘关系,蜡蝉子亚目与鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目是姊妹群,蝉子亚目是蜡蝉子亚目 (鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目)的姐妹群,胸喙亚目是半翅目中最早和最原始的一个分枝。因此传统的“同翅目”并不是一个自然的单系类群,而是一个人为的并系类群。目前,在国际昆虫学界,“同翅目”作为一个人为的并系类群已得到公认和普遍接受,并已不再作为昆虫纲的一个有效目被使用。然而,“同翅目”作为昆虫纲的一个有效目在国内一直被广泛使用,为此,作者建议我国的昆虫学工作者今后应停止使用“同翅目”这一人为的并系目名而使用单系的半翅目目名,即将长期以来一直置于“同翅目”的木虱、粉虱、蚧虫、蚜虫、蝉、沫蝉、叶蝉、角蝉及蜡蝉类昆虫与蝽类昆虫一起作为半翅目的成员对待。     

基于18S rRNA基因序列的直翅目主要类群系统发育关系研究

基于78种直翅目昆虫的18S rRNA基因全序列构建了直翅目各主要类群间的系统发育关系。本研究的结果支持直翅目的单系性,但不支持蝗亚目和螽亚目各自的单系性;直翅目下除蜢总科和蝗总科外各总科的划分多数与Otte系统相一致;蜢总科的单系性得不到支持;蝗总科的剑角蝗科、斑腿蝗科、斑翅蝗科、网翅蝗科和槌角蝗科5科均不是单系群,各物种间的遗传距离差异不大,应合并为一科,即蝗科;本研究支持将Otte系统中蚱总科和螽蟖总科下各亚科级阶元提升为科级阶元;18S rRNA基因全序列可以作为划分科级阶元的工具,当位于同一分支上互成姐妹群的类群间的遗传距离超过1%时,这几个类群属于不同的科;但由于其在进化上的保守性,18S rRNA基因只能用于纲目等高级阶元间关系的研究,而由其获得的总科以下阶元间的关系并不可靠。     

基于质体基因组学方法研究广义玄参科的系统发育

该研究利用GenBank数据库已公开发表的玄参科及相关类群的107属129个物种的质体基因组数据对广义玄参科的系统发育关系进行了分析。该文利用蛋白质编码基因构建了矩阵，并采用最大似然法及贝叶斯推断重建系统发育树。基于两种分析方法获得的系统发育树的拓扑结构完全一致且分辨率及支持率较高。在ML树中，总分支数为129个，其中支持率≥70%的分支数目为123个。结果表明：(1)广义玄参科不是一个单系类群，隶属于广义玄参科的51个物种(37属)分散于列当科、泡桐科、美丽桐科、通泉草科、母草科、狭义玄参科和车前科。(2)狭义玄参科为单系类群，除原隶属于广义玄参科的Bontia、Calamphoreus、Diocirea、Eremophila、Glycocystis、Leucophyllum、玄参属和毛蕊花属外，还包括了原隶属于马钱科的醉鱼草属和原隶属于苦槛蓝科的苦槛蓝属。(3)唇形目为一个单系，目下共形成了14个支持率高的单系分支，对应于14个科(其中美丽桐科和胡麻科仅包括一个物种，不包括在内),科间关系得到较好的解决，木犀科为最早分化出来的类群，其余的类群共同组成核心唇形目。在核心唇形目中，类群...     

水生肉食亚目(Hydradephaga)系统发育学研究简论

水生肉食亚目(Hydradephaga)属于鞘翅目Coleoptera,是一类具有水生习性的食肉性真正水生甲虫(True water beetles)。在真正水生甲虫的系统分类中存在三种假说,一种是肉食亚目(Adephaga)位于该系统的基部,一种是多食亚目(Polyphaga)位于该系统基部,第三种是藻食亚目(Myxophaga)位于该系统基部。最近研究结果更多倾向第一种假说。目前水生肉食亚目大约有5 500个种,200多个属,含8个科。水生肉食亚目的科间水平系统发育关系虽被广泛研究,但观点仍不统一。有代表意义的有三个假说,一是豉甲科(Gyrinidae)位于系统基部,接下来是龙虱科(Dytiscidae)、两栖甲科(Amphizoidae)、水甲科(Hygrobiidae)、小粒龙虱科(Noteridae)与沼梭科(Haliplidae);二是沼梭科位于系统的基部;三是豉甲科位于系统的基部,接下来是沼梭科和龙虱总科(Dytiscoidea),其中龙虱总科由两栖甲科、水甲科、龙虱科、小粒龙虱科组成。目前根据形态学的分类,并结合分子系统学研究方法,第三种假说更符合水生肉食亚目的系统分类,也支持了水生肉食亚目作为一个单系,其祖先来自陆生的假说。     

以演化时间为新增指标构建真菌分类系统

随着分子系统发育研究的普及,真菌各分类类群逐渐被修订为单系发生类群,通常结合形态学特征为代表的表型特征（“单系+表型特征”）对不同的分类等级命名是最为普遍的方法。历史上存在的大量多系名称被逐步修订、补充和完善,各个不同等级类群的分类系统变得更加合理、客观和趋于自然,这是分类学进程中巨大的进步。然而系统发育重建所揭示的单系类群并没有相应的标准来对应于纲目科属等种上分类等级,所以并不能直接转换为分类系统,且在分类实践中,由于不同分类学家在决定各个单系类群对应的分类等级时采用的尺度不同、依据不一,严重影响分类系统的科学性和稳定性。随着分子钟分析方法的出现,实现了对现生生物类群演化时间的估算,所以在系统发育、表型特征研究的基础上,把演化时间作为真菌分类的新增指标来划分和命名种上分类等级的方法（“单系+表型特征+演化时间”）得以应用。本文回顾了首次利用这种方法重建蘑菇属分类系统的工作,目前研究所揭示的担子菌门和子囊菌门从门至科各分类等级的演化时间范围,及利用演化时间为新增指标在分类命名中的应用;分析了影响演化时间估算可靠性的关键因素及对策。我们认为在构建分类系统的研究中增加演化时间指标,使新分类系统体现类群进化过程中的时间维度,能更全面反映类群的进化历程,促进分类系统的科学性和稳定性。     

基于线粒体COI基因全序列的直翅目部分类群系统发育关系分析

该研究基于直翅目56种昆虫的COI基因全序列构建了该目部分类群间的系统发育关系,同时也分析了COI基因编码的氨基酸序列构建直翅目系统发育关系的可靠性。将COI序列按照密码子一、二、三位点划分,分别计算PBS(partioned Bremer support)值,评估蛋白质编码基因密码子不同位点的系统发生信号强度。分析结果支持螽亚目和蝗亚目的单系性;剑角蝗科、斑腿蝗科、斑翅蝗科、网翅蝗科和槌角蝗科5科均不是单系群,科间的遗传距离在0.107~0.153之间变化,与其他科相比遗传距离较小,符合将这5科合并为一科(即蝗科)的分类系统,瘤锥蝗科和锥头蝗科归为锥头蝗总科,癞蝗科单独成为一科,这也与Otte(1997)系统的划分一致。根据PBS值的大小推断密码子第三、第一位点对系统树分支的贡献比第二位点大,并且较长的序列含有较多的信息位点。研究也证实将各物种COI基因之间的遗传距离作为直翅目划分科级阶元的工具是可行的。     

基于线粒体基因组序列的鞘翅目肉食亚目水生类群系统发育分析

【目的】明确肉食亚目(Adephaga)水生类群线粒体基因组的基本特征,并基于线粒体基因组序列分析肉食亚目水生类群的系统发育关系。【方法】基于Illumina HiSeq X Ten测序技术测定了圆鞘隐盾豉甲Dineutus mellyi和齿缘龙虱Eretes sticticus的线粒体全基因组序列,对其进行了基因注释,并对其tRNA基因二级结构进行了预测分析。加上已公布的鞘翅目(Coleoptera)肉食亚目水生类群17个种的线粒体基因组序列,对该类群共19个种线粒体的蛋白质编码基因(protein-coding genes, PCGs)开展了比较基因组学分析,包括AT含量、密码子偏好性、选择压力等。基于13个PCGs的氨基酸序列和核苷酸序列,利用最大似然法(ML)和贝叶斯法(BI)分别构建鞘翅目肉食亚目水生类群的系统发育关系,并通过FcLM分析进一步评估伪龙虱科(Noteridae)和瀑甲科(Meruidae)的系统发育位置。【结果】圆鞘隐盾豉甲和齿缘龙虱的线粒体基因组全长分别为16 123 bp(GenBank登录号: MN781126)和16 196 bp(GenBank登录号: MN781132),都包含13个PCGs、22个tRNA基因、2个rRNA基因和1个D-loop区(控制区)。19个肉食亚目水生类群线粒体基因组PCGs的碱基组成都呈现A+T偏好性,在密码子使用上也都偏向于使用富含A+T的密码子;在进化过程中13个PCGs的进化模式相同,都受到纯化选择。基于线粒体基因组13个PCGs的氨基酸序列的肉食亚目水生类群的系统发育关系为(豉甲科Gyrinidae+(沼梭甲科Haliplidae+((壁甲科Aspidytidae+(两栖甲科Amphizoidae+龙虱科Dytiscidae))+(水甲科Hygrobiidae+(瀑甲科Meruidae+伪龙虱科Noteridae)))))。【结论】研究结果表明,豉甲科是肉食亚目水生类群的基部类群,接下来是沼梭甲科和龙虱总科;伪龙虱科和瀑甲科互为姐妹群,并一起作为龙虱总科内部的一个分支;两栖甲科与龙虱科具有更近的亲缘关系。     

有瓣蝇类触角感受器形态与功能研究进展

有瓣蝇类隶属于昆虫纲双翅目,其物种多样性高,适应能力强,生态类型丰富,与人类关系密切,是开展昆虫适应演化研究的理想类群。触角是有瓣蝇类最重要的嗅觉感受器官,在其精准寻找食源,高效完成交配、产卵等生活史环节中都起着获取外界信息的关键作用。目前已有大量对于有瓣蝇类触角感受器的研究,但这些研究对触角感受器形态名词的使用存在诸多差异、混乱和歧义,使得不同研究间难以相互参考。本文统一了之前研究中有瓣蝇类触角上常见的各类感受结构的不同名词;并结合其它昆虫类群的相关研究,综述了各类感受器在形态和功能方面的研究进展;探讨了该领域中尚待解决的问题。     

The Muscoidea (Diptera: Calyptratae) are paraphyletic: Evidence from four mitochondrial and four nuclear genes

Approximately 5% of the known species-level diversity of Diptera belongs to the Muscoidea with its approximately 7000 described species. Despite including some of the most abundant and well known flies, the phylogenetic relationships within this superfamily are poorly understood. Previous attempts at reconstructing the relationships based on morphology and relatively small molecular data sets were only moderately successful. Here, we use molecular data for 127 exemplar species of the Muscoidea, two species from the Hippoboscoidea, ten species representing the Oestroidea and seven outgroup species from four acalyptrate superfamilies. Four mitochondrial genes 12S, 16S, COI, and Cytb, and four nuclear genes 18S, 28S, Ef1a, and CAD are used to reconstruct the relationships within the Muscoidea. The length-variable genes were aligned using a guide tree that was based on the protein-encoding genes and the indel-free sections of the ribosomal genes. We found that, based on topological considerations, this guide tree was a significant improvement over the default guide trees generated by ClustalX. The data matrix was analyzed using maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) and yielded very similar tree topologies. The Calyptratae are monophyletic and the Hippoboscoidea are the sister group to the remaining calyptrates (MP). The Muscoidea are paraphyletic with a monophyletic Oestroidea nested within the Muscoidea as sister group to Anthomyiidae+Scathophagidae. The monophyly of three of the four recognized families in the Muscoidea is confirmed: the Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae. However, the Anthomyiidae are possibly paraphyletic. Within the Oestroidea, the Sarcophagidae and Tachinidae are sister groups and the Calliphoridae are paraphyletic.     

Molecular phylogeny of the Calyptratae (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) with an emphasis on the superfamily Oestroidea and the position of Mystacinobiidae and McAlpine's fly

The dipteran clade Calyptratae is comprised of approximately 18 000 described species (12% of the known dipteran diversity) and includes well‐known taxa such as houseflies, tsetse flies, blowflies and botflies, which have a close association with humans. However, the phylogenetic relationships within this insect radiation are very poorly understood and controversial. Here we propose a higher‐level phylogenetic hypothesis for the Calyptratae based on an extensive DNA sequence dataset for 11 noncalyptrate outgroups and 247 calyptrate species representing all commonly accepted families in the Oestroidea and Hippoboscoidea, as well as those of the muscoid grade. DNA sequences for genes in the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b) and nuclear genome [18S, 28S, the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase region of CAD (rudimentary), Elongation factor one alpha] were used to reconstruct the relationships. We discuss problems relating to the alignment and analysis of large datasets and emphasize the advantages of utilizing a guide tree‐based approach for the alignment of the DNA sequences and using the leaf stability index to identify ‘wildcard’ taxa whose excessive instability obscures the phylogenetic signal. Our analyses support the monophyly of the Calyptratae and demonstrate that the superfamily Oestroidea is nested within the muscoid grade. We confirm that the monotypic family Mystacinobiidae is an oestroid and further revise the composition of the Oestroidea by demonstrating that the previously unplaced and still undescribed ‘McAlpine’s fly’ is nested within this superfamily as a probable sister group to Mystacinobiidae. Within the Oestroidea we confirm with molecular data that the Calliphoridae are a paraphyletic grade of lineages. The families Sarcophagidae and Rhiniidae are monophyletic, but support for the monophyly of Tachinidae and Rhinophoridae depends on analytical technique (e.g. parsimony or maximum likelihood). The superfamilies Hippoboscoidea and Oestroidea are consistently found to be monophyletic, and the paraphyly of the muscoid grade is confirmed. In the overall relationships for the calyptrates, the Hippoboscoidea are sister group to the remaining Calyptratae, and the Fanniidae are sister group to the nonhippoboscoid calyptrates, whose relationships can be summarized as (Muscidae (Oestroidea (Scathophagidae, Anthomyiidae))).     

The phylogeny and evolution of host choice in the Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) as reconstructed using four molecular markers

Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily of Diptera that contains the Glossinidae or tsetse flies, the Hippoboscidae or louse flies, and two families of bat flies, the Streblidae and the Nycteribiidae. We reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships within Hippoboscoidea using maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods based on nucleotide sequences from fragments of four genes: nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA and the CPSase domain of CAD, and mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I. We recover monophyly for most of the presently recognized groups within Hippoboscoidea including the superfamily as a whole, the Hippoboscidae, the Nycteribiidae, the bat flies, and the Pupipara (=Hippoboscidae+Nycteribiidae+Streblidae), as well as several subfamilies within the constituent families. Streblidae appear to be paraphyletic. Our phylogenetic hypothesis is well supported and decisive in that most competing topological hypotheses for the Hippoboscoidea require significantly longer trees. We confirm a single shift from a free-living fly to a blood-feeding ectoparasite of vertebrates and demonstrate that at least two host shifts from mammals to birds have occurred. Wings have been repeatedly lost, but never regained. The hippoboscoid ancestor also evolved adenotrophic viviparity and our cladogram is consistent with a gradual reduction in the motility of the deposited final instar larvae from active burrowing in the soil to true pupiparity where adult females glue the puparium within the confines of bat roosts.     

Phylogenetic inference of calyptrates,with the first mitogenomes for Gasterophilinae (Diptera: Oestridae) and Paramacronychiinae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

The complete mitogenome of the horse stomach bot fly Gasterophilus pecorum (Fabricius) and a near-complete mitogenome of Wohlfahrt''s wound myiasis fly Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner) were sequenced. The mitogenomes contain the typical 37 mitogenes found in metazoans, organized in the same order and orientation as in other cyclorrhaphan Diptera. Phylogenetic analyses of mitogenomes from 38 calyptrate taxa with and without two non-calyptrate outgroups were performed using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood. Three sub-analyses were performed on the concatenated data: (1) not partitioned; (2) partitioned by gene; (3) 3rd codon positions of protein-coding genes omitted. We estimated the contribution of each of the mitochondrial genes for phylogenetic analysis, as well as the effect of some popular methodologies on calyptrate phylogeny reconstruction. In the favoured trees, the Oestroidea are nested within the muscoid grade. Relationships at the family level within Oestroidea are (remaining Calliphoridae (Sarcophagidae (Oestridae, Pollenia + Tachinidae))). Our mito-phylogenetic reconstruction of the Calyptratae presents the most extensive taxon coverage so far, and the risk of long-branch attraction is reduced by an appropriate selection of outgroups. We find that in the Calyptratae the ND2, ND5, ND1, COIII, and COI genes are more phylogenetically informative compared with other mitochondrial protein-coding genes. Our study provides evidence that data partitioning and the inclusion of conserved tRNA genes have little influence on calyptrate phylogeny reconstruction, and that the 3rd codon positions of protein-coding genes are not saturated and therefore should be included.     

The Mitochondrial Genome of Elodia flavipalpis Aldrich (Diptera: Tachinidae) and the Evolutionary Timescale of Tachinid Flies

Tachinid flies are natural enemies of many lepidopteran and coleopteran pests of forests, crops, and fruit trees. In order to address the lack of genetic data in this economically important group, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Palaearctic tachinid fly Elodia flavipalpis Aldrich, 1933. Usually found in Northern China and Japan, this species is one of the primary natural enemies of the leaf-roller moths (Tortricidae), which are major pests of various fruit trees. The 14,932-bp mitochondrial genome was typical of Diptera, with 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. However, its control region is only 105 bp in length, which is the shortest found so far in flies. In order to estimate dipteran evolutionary relationships, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of 58 mitochondrial genomes from 23 families. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods supported the monophyly of both Tachinidae and superfamily Oestroidea. Within the subsection Calyptratae, Muscidae was inferred as the sister group to Oestroidea. Within Oestroidea, Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae formed a sister clade to Oestridae and Tachinidae. Using a Bayesian relaxed clock calibrated with fossil data, we estimated that Tachinidae originated in the middle Eocene.     

Phylogeny of caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera)

Trichoptera are holometabolous insects with aquatic larvae that, together with the Lepidoptera, comprise the Amphiesmenoptera. Previous phylogenetic hypotheses and progress on our ongoing data collection are summarized. Fragments of the large and small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNAs (D1, D3, V4–5), the nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha gene and a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) were sequenced, and molecular data were combined with previously published morphological data. Equally and differentially weighted parsimony analyses were conducted in order to present a phylogeny of Trichoptera, including 43 of 45 families. Our phylogeny closely resembles that proposed by Herbert Ross with respect to the relationships among suborders, with a monophyletic Annulipalpia at the base of the tree, and a clade consisting of Spicipalpia plus a monophyletic Integripalpia. The monophyly of Spicipalpia is weakly supported in the combined equally weighted analysis, and Spicipalpia is paraphyletic in the differentially weighted analysis. Within Integripalpia, our phylogeny recovered monophyletic Plenitentoria, Brevitentoria and Sericostomatoidea. Leptoceroidea was unresolved in the equally weighted analysis and monophyletic in the differentially weighted analysis. Within Annulipalpia, we recovered a basal but paraphyletic Philopotamoidea and a monophyletic Hydropsychoidea.     

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of nycteribiid and streblid bat flies (Diptera: Brachycera, Calyptratae): implications for host associations and phylogeographic origins

Bat flies are a small but diverse group of highly specialized ectoparasitic, obligatory bloodsucking Diptera. For the first time, the phylogenetic relationships of 26 species and five subfamilies were investigated using four genes (18S rDNA, 16S rDNA, COII, and cytB) under three optimality criteria (maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian inference). Tree topology tests of previous hypotheses were conducted under likelihood (Shimodaira-Hasegawa test). Major findings include the non-monophyly of the Streblidae and the recovery of an Old World- and a New World-Clade of bat flies. These data ambiguously resolve basal relationships between Hippoboscidae, Glossinidae, and bat flies. Recovered phylogenies resulted in either monophyly (Bayesian approach) or paraphyly (MP/ML topologies) of the bat flies, thus obscuring the potential number of possible associations with bats throughout the history of this group. Dispersal-vicariance analysis suggested the Neotropical region as the possible ancestral distribution area of the New World Streblidae and the Oriental region for the Old World bat flies. The genes examined show conflicting support across the nodes of the tree, particularly in the basal positions. Additionally, there is poor character support among all genes for the nodes associated with early hippoboscoid diversification. This results in extremely short basal branches, adding support to the idea of a rapid radiation among the four major groups of Hippoboscoidea.