Abstract
AbstractThe intrasubfamilial classification of Microdontinae Rondani (Diptera: Syrphidae) has been a challenge: until recently more than 300 out of more than 400 valid species names were classified in Microdon Meigen. We present phylogenetic analyses of molecular and morphological characters (both separate and combined) of Microdontinae. The morphological dataset contains 174 characters, scored for 189 taxa (9 outgroup), representing all 43 presently recognized genera and several subgenera and species groups. The molecular dataset, representing 90 ingroup species of 28 genera, comprises sequences of five partitions in total from the mitochondrial gene COI and the nuclear ribosomal genes 18S and 28S. We test the sister‐group relationship of Spheginobaccha with the other Microdontinae, attempt to elucidate phylogenetic relationships within the Microdontinae and discuss uncertainties in the classification of Microdontinae. Trees based on molecular characters alone are poorly resolved, but combined data are better resolved. Support for many deeper nodes is low, and placement of such nodes differs between parsimony and Bayesian analyses. However, Spheginobaccha is recovered as highly supported sister group in both. Both analyses agree on the early branching of Mixogaster, Schizoceratomyia, Afromicrodon and Paramicrodon. The taxonomical rank in relation to the other Syrphidae is discussed briefly. An additional analysis based on morphological characters only, including all 189 taxa, used implied weighting. A range of weighting strengths (k‐values) is applied, chosen such that values of character fit of the resulting trees are divided into regular intervals. Results of this analysis are used for discussing the phylogenetic relationships of genera unrepresented in the molecular dataset.
Highlights
The Microdontinae, a subfamily of Syrphidae (Diptera), are distributed over all continents except Antarctica
Preferably the type species, of all groups was included in the morphological dataset
Only 28 of the 43 genera recognized by Reemer & Stahls (2013) could be included, and more should be sought
Summary
The Microdontinae, a subfamily of Syrphidae (Diptera), are distributed over all continents except Antarctica. With 64 species known from the Holarctic region, the group is less well represented in temperate regions (Reemer & Stahls, 2013), perhaps explaining the limited taxonomic attention. Since Rondani (1845) introduced the family group name Microdonellae, this group has been recognized as distinct from other Syrphidae, albeit under different spellings and taxonomic ranks. Placement of the group relative to other Syrphidae has been unstable, with treatment as a tribe within the subfamily Syrphinae (Williston, 1886), a subtribe within the tribe Volucellini (Goffe, 1952), a family (Thompson, 1972) and a subfamily (Verrall, 1901; Stahls et al, 2003; Cheng & Thompson, 2008) (see Reemer & Stahls, 2013)
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