A phylotranscriptomic framework for flesh fly evolution (Diptera, Calyptratae, Sarcophagidae)

Abstract

The Sarcophagidae (flesh flies) comprise a large and widely distributed radiation within the Calyptratae (Diptera). Larval feeding habits are ecologically diverse and include sarcosaprophagy, coprophagy, herbivory, invertebrate and vertebrate predation, and kleptoparasitism. To elucidate the geographic origin and evolution of flesh fly life-history, we inferred a backbone phylogeny based on transcriptomic data from 26 sarcophagid species covering all three subfamilies plus 15 outgroups. The phylogeny was inferred using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods based on a series of supermatrices, one set with overall information content improved by MARE (2290 loci), one set with 100% gene coverage for all included species (587 loci), and the last set including mitochondrial and nuclear genes (589 loci) and additional taxa. In order to obtain a more detailed hypothesis, we utilized the supertree approach to combine results from the present study with previously published hypotheses. This resulted supertree covers 84 of the one hundred currently recognized sarcophagid genera and formed the basis for the ancestral state reconstructions. The monophyletic Sarcophagidae is well-supported as sister to {Mystacinobiidae + Oestri-dae}, and relationships at the subfamily level are inferred as {Sarcophaginae, (Paramacronychiinae + Miltogramminae)}. The Sarcophagidae and each subfamily originated in the Americas, with Sarcophaginae diversifying mainly in the Neotropics, whereas the major radiation of both Miltogramminae and Paramacronychiinae occurred in the Palaearctic. Sarcosaprophagy is reconstructed as the ancestral larval feeding habit of the family Sarcophagidae and each subfamily. The ancestral sarcophagid larva probably utilized dead invertebrates as food, and the food spectrum expanded together with the diversification of breeding strategies. Particularly, kleptoparasitism in Miltogramminae is derived from sarcosaprophagy and may be seen as having derived from the breeding biology of 'lower' miltogrammines, the larvae of which feed on buried vertebrate carrion.

Ultrastructure of Antennal Sensory Organs in Nine Flesh Flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): New Insight into the Definition of Family Sarcophagidae

“…The Sarcophagidae (flesh flies) is a widespread family that consists of more than 3000 species [ 1 , 2 ]. Flesh flies are classified into three recognized subfamilies: Miltogramminae, Paramacronychiinae, and Sarcophaginae [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. They have diverse habits and play important roles in ecosystems as pollinators and decomposers.…”

Comparative Mitogenomics of Flesh Flies: Implications for Phylogeny

“…Sarcophagidae, or flesh flies, which comprise more than 3000 known species, represent one of the most species-rich families of Calyptratae [ 1 ], and they have recently been the focus of several comprehensive studies [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. They are widely distributed on all continents except Antarctica [ 2 , 4 ] and are divided into three subfamilies, namely, Miltogramminae, Paramacronychiinae, and Sarcophaginae [ 4 ]. Flesh flies are of great ecological and economic importance because of their diverse feeding habits.…”

First mitogenome of Anthomyia illocata (Diptera, Anthomyiidae) yielded by next-generation sequencing

“… 2017 , 2019 ), as well as population genetics, even in the era of phylogenomics (Kutty et al. 2019 ; Yan et al 2021 ). There are currently mitogenomes of seven Anthomyiidae species available in GenBank.…”

“… 2010 , 2019 ; Yan et al. 2021 ). The Anthomyiidae was inferred as paraphyletic, within which Scathophagidae was nested, and the species Pegoplata infirma was recovered as a basal branch of the clade (Anthomyiidae + Scathophagidae).…”