Placement of Conopidae (Diptera) within Schizophora based on mtDNA and nrDNA gene regions

A comparative analysis of the evolution of imperfect mimicry

“…The 5 region of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) was sequenced for each specimen following the methods outlined in Gibson et al 24 . DNA extraction and sequencing was performed in house and at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding.…”

Revision of Nearctic <i>Dasysyrphus</i> Enderlein (Diptera: Syrphidae)

“…The addition of more gene regions should add more depth to the analysis, making this a more robust phylogeny and helping to resolve some of the more poorly supported nodes. Based on recent work by Gibson et al (2010;2011), we suggest that AATS, parts of CAD and cytochrome b would be good markers to use in future studies. Fresh material from all known species needs to be collected and preserved in alcohol at -80 degrees to assist in this endeavour.…”

The first &lt;i&gt;Stylogaster&lt;/i&gt; Macquart, 1835 (Diptera: Conopidae) fossil, from Oligo-Miocene Dominican amber, and some phylogenetic and biogeographic considerations

“…The short mouthparts with palps and widely open cell R 4+5 are putative plesiomorphic characters of Palaeomyopa, while the presence of facial foveae and pad-like extensions of sternite 5 of the female are shared with the nonstylogastrine conopids. Evolutionary studies of Conopidae are important because this family is hypothesized to be the sister taxon to all other schizophoran Diptera (Gibson et al, 2010), thus providing insights into the evolution of diet and parasitoidism amongst the enormous radiation of higher flies. The morphology of the mouthparts and female terminalia suggests that ancestral conopids were nectarivorous and parasitoids (Hennig, 1966), and must have evolved after the appearance of the flowering plants.…”