Hypotheses from mitochondrial DNA: congruence and conflict between DNA sequences and morphology in Dolichopodinae systematics (Diptera:Dolichopodidae)

Abstract

The molecular phylogeny of the subfamily Dolichopodinae (Diptera : Dolichopodidae) is reconstructed based on 79 species of 7 dolichopodine genera as ingroup, and 10 non-dolichopodine species from different genera as outgroup. A Bayesian analysis based on a mitochondrial DNA dataset consisting of 1702 characters (COI : 810; 12S : 366; 16S : 526) was carried out. Genital and non-genital morphological characters from a hitherto unpublished data matrix (based on 57 Dolichopodidae species) were used to explain and support the lineages hypothesised by our molecular phylogenetic analysis. The monophyly of the subfamily Dolichopodinae, and of the genera Dolichopus and Gymnopternus, was confirmed. The molecular analysis yielded nine species groups in Dolichopus that were proposed in previous studies using COI and Cyt-b. No evidence was found to support a clade including Dolichopus, Ethiromyia, and Gymnopternus. The genus Hercostomus proved polyphyletic with respect to Poecilobothrus, Sybistroma, and Gymnopternus. The following lineages were represented by strongly supported clades: Hercostomus germanus species group, H. vivax species group, H. nigrilamellatus species group, H. plagiatus species group, H. longiventris species group, H. fulvicaudis species group, and Poecilobothrus, Gymnopternus, Tachytrechus and Sybistroma (including Hercostomus nanus and H. parvilamellatus). Two clades that were previously established on the basis of morphology were confirmed in our phylogenetic analysis: (i) Poecilobothrus and the flower-feeding Hercostomus germanus species group, and (ii) the H. longiventris lineage and Sybistroma. In most cases, the groups identified in the molecular analysis could be supported and explained by morphological characters. Species of the Hercostomus germanus species group, Poecilobothrus, the Hercostomus longiventris species group, and a Sybistroma subclade have a similar microhabitat affinity.

Diversity and Phylogeny of Cardinium (Bacteroidetes) in Armored Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

“…Extensive DNA samples from previous studies (Bernasconi et al 2007a;2007b;Germann et al 2010;2011ab;Pollet et al 2010;2011) and a few additional fly samples were used to assess a range of representatives of the Dolichopodidae and species from other empidoid families, namely Empididae and Hybotidae, for infection with Cardinium via PCR (see Martin et al 2013 for data on three other symbionts). DNA was extracted from whole fly specimens using DNeasy Tissue kits (Qiagen AG, www.qiagen.com) according to the manufacturer's instructions.…”

Infections with the MicrobeCardiniumin the Dolichopodidae and Other Empidoidea

“…Extensive DNA samples from previous studies (Bernasconi et al 2007a; 2007b; Germann et al 2010; 2011ab; Pollet et al 2010; 2011) and a few additional fly samples were used to assess a range of representatives of the Dolichopodidae and species from other empidoidfamilies, namely Empididae and Hybotidae, for infection with Cardinium via PCR (see Martin et al 2013 for data on three other symbionts). DNA was extracted from whole fly specimens using DNeasy Tissue kits (Qiagen AG, www.qiagen.com) according to the manufacturer's instructions.…”

New species and new records of Dolichopodidae (Diptera) from Israel

“…Hercostomus thraciensis Kechev et Negrobov, 2015, и Condylostylus longicornis (Fabricius, 1775, впервые указаны для страны. Даны иллюстрации Hercostomus kravchenkoi some other Hercostomus groups and appear closer to Gymnopternus Loew, 1857 [Bernasconi et al, 2007] or even Tachytrechus Haliday, 1851 [Pollet et al, 2010]. Grichanov [2015] has described H. golanensis from that group and supposed that some other species of the genus Hercostomus could be included in the H. plagiatus group; among those species are H. libanicola Parent, 1933, and H. cyprius Parent, 1937from the Mediterranean Region, H. pokivajlovi Maslova et Negrobov, 2011, from Tajikistan, and H. additus Parent, 1926, from the Oriental part of China.…”