Phylogeny, Classification, Mesozoic Fossils, and Biogeography of the Leiinae (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)

Abstract

The relationships among the genera of fungus gnats in the mycetophilid subfamily Leiinae are unclear, and the monophyly of this group is questionable. This monograph provides an extensive phylogenetic study of the Leiinae based on morphological data from a large taxonomic sample, including all genera that have ever been assigned to the subfamily and a wide outgroup sampling to properly test subfamilial monophyly. A data matrix with 128 morphological features of 117 terminal taxa was carried out under parsimony using different implicit weight schemes. All recovered topologies support a monophyletic Leiinae that is more restricted than the usual delimitation of the subfamily. We found no consistent evidence that a clade with Docosia Winnertz, Novakia Strobl, Ectrepesthoneura Enderlein, and Tetragoneura Winnertz group together with the remaining genera of Leiinae. A name with subfamily rank-Tetragoneurinae, already present in the literature-is used here to refer to this group. The allactoneurine genera Sticholeia Søli and Allactoneura de Meijere form a clade with the leiine genus Leiella and the genera of Manotinae, which is deeply nested within the Leiinae. The male terminalia patterns found within the subfamily are analyzed and illustrated. A classification for the Leiinae is proposed grouping 33 genera in seven clades ranked as tribes: Selkirkiini Enderlein, Megophthalmidiini, trib. nov., Rondaniellini, trib. nov., Cycloneurini Shaw and Shaw, Manotini Edwards, Anomalomyiini, trib. nov., and Leiini Edwards.A key for the world genera of Leiinae is also provided. The Cretaceous mycetophilid fossil record is revisited and the biogeographic evolution of the Leiinae is discussed.

The oldest Gondwanan fossil of Leiinae (Diptera, Mycetophilidae): Phylogenetic and evolutionary implications

“…Cretomanota gondwanica (herein described), Alavamanota hispanica Blagoderov and Arillo, 2002 (Early Aptian–Middle Albian, Spain—Alonso et al., 2000) and A. burmitina Blagoderov and Grimaldi, 2004 (Cenomanian, Myanmar—Shi et al., 2012) were added to the data matrix used in Oliveira and Amorim (2021) as new terminal taxa. That is the most updated and comprehensive study of the internal relationships of the subfamily Leiinae.…”

“…The Mycetophilidae (extant representatives are shown in Figs 1a, b, and c) include over 4200 described extant species in almost 150 genera, distributed in six subfamilies—Sciophilinae, Tetragoneurinae, Leiinae, Gnoristinae, Mycomyiinae and Mycetophilinae (Oliveira and Amorim, 2021). Although many of the genera in the family are worldwide in distribution, the generic composition of the family in tropical and temperate environments is remarkably different.…”

“…The earliest known leiines so far are from Alava (Spain) Lower Cretaceous amber and from the Mid‐Cretaceous Myanmar amber (Blagoderov and Arillo, 2002; Blagoderov and Grimaldi, 2004; Oliveira and Amorim, 2021). Oliveira and Amorim (2021) carefully revisited all Cretaceous fossils of Mycetophilidae and discussed those that could fit at given nodes in the phylogeny of the Leiinae. Alavamanota Blagoderov and Arillo was assumed to be possibly related to the extant genus Manota Williston.…”

Checklist of the dipterofauna (Insecta) from Roraima, Brazil, with special reference to the Brazilian Ecological Station of Maracá

“…There are more studies with the fauna of temperate regions, despite the fact that mycetophilids are more diverse in tropical areas, especially in the Neotropical region, where there are especially in the Neotropical region, where there are 1,202 species and 55 genera (Oliveira & Amorim, 2014;Amaral et al, 2022). Currently, the Mycetophilidae are divided into six subfamilies (Oliveira & Amorim, 2021) Scatopsidae (Fig. 3F).…”

Every Single Specimen Counts: A New Docosia Winnertz (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) Species Described from a Singleton

“…Having been classified traditionally within the subfamily Leiinae (or the tribus Leiini) by earlier authors [1][2][3], molecular studies have instead suggested it belongs to Gnoristinae [4,5]. However, in a recent synopsis of Leiinae by Oliveira and Amorim [6], a new subfamily Tetragoneurinae was established, consisting of four genera including Docosia. Intrageneric phylogeny based on five molecular markers has been proposed by Ševčík et al [7].…”