The Calliphoridae (Blowflies) (Diptera: Oestroidea) are Not a Monophyletic Group

Abstract

To investigate the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of the Calliphoridae (blowflies), 23 terminal monophyletic taxa within the Oestroidea and two outgroup taxa (Muscidae and Anthomyiidae) were scored for 45 adult and larval characters and subjected to analyses using parsimony. Search for trees of maximum total fit (using Pee-Wee) gave nine different trees for the possible values of the concavity constant, whereas search for minimum length trees under equal weights (using NONA and PAUP) gave two, different, trees. The preferred trees are those obtained from the maximum-fit searches since they are derived from a method that lowers the weight of characters showing within-terminal as well as within-tree homoplasy. The family Calliphoridae in various commonly used senses (excluding Oestridae s.lat.; including the Rhiniinae; excluding or including the Rhinoporidae; excluding or includingMystacinobia) does not appear to be a monophyletic group. It appears as such only in trees having a much lower total fit than the optimal trees (maximum fit approach) or only in a very small fraction of the numerous trees five or nine steps longer than the minimum length trees. The assemblage (Rhiniinae+Toxotarsinae+Chrysomyinae), sometimes assumed to be a natural taxon on account of common possession of a row of setae on the upper surface of the stem-vein, should likewise be rejected. A clade (Ameniini+Euphumosia+Phumosiinae+Mesembrinellinae+Parameniini+Catapicephala) is possibly Gondwanian. A clade (Toxotarsinae+Chrysomyinae+Calliphorinae+Luciliinae+Melanomyinae) contains all the sarcosaprophagous “blowflies”. The group (Tachinidae+Sarcophagidae) is possibly the monophyletic sister group of the Rhiniinae.Mystacinobiaemerges from the analyses as the sister group of all other Oestroidea, and the family Axiniidae as the sister group of all the other non-mystacinobiine oestroids. AlthoughMystacinobiais a guano-feeder in all stages, the biology of the other basal oestroid taxa indicates that a reproductive association with living or dead invertebrates is the primitive oestroid pattern. Fossils having a bearing upon the estimation of the age of various oestroid clades are discussed.