Phylogenetic hypothesis for Asilidae based on morphological and molecular characters (Dikow 2009b)
A pylogenetic hypothesis combining morphological and molecular characters for Asilidae, based on a sample of 77 species and 211 morphological characters of the adult fly and approximately 7300 bp of nuclear DNA from five genes(18S and 28S rDNA, AATS, CAD, and EF-1&alpha protein-encoding DNA), has recently been published.
Dikow, T. 2009b. A phylogenetic hypothesis for Asilidae based on a total evidence analysis of morphological and DNA sequence data (Insecta: Diptera: Brachycera: Asiloidea). Organisms, Diversity, & Evolution 9(3): 165–188. (download a PDF here) (the data and tree files can be downloaded here)
The main conclusions of this cladistic analysis are:
monophyly of Asilidae is corroborated and supported by seven morphological and 25 molecular autapomorphies
six of the 12 included subfamily taxa sensu Dikow (2009a) are recovered as monophyletic, i.e., Asilinae, Dioctriinae, Laphriinae, Leptogastrinae, Ommatiinae, and Stichopogoninae
Trigonomiminae, previously always considered as monophyletic based on morphology alone, is shown to be non-monophyletic
two of the three included Trigonomiminae genera, Holcocephala and Rhipidocephala, group unexpectedly as the sister taxon to all other Asilidae
Laphriinae, previously placed in the latter position by Dikow (2009a), is the sister group of the remaining Asilidae
five other subfamily taxa, i.e., Brachyrhopalinae, Dasypogoninae, Stenopogoninae, Tillobromatinae, and Willistonininae, are non-monophyletic
a clade Apioceridae + Mydidae is corroborated as the sister taxon to Asilidae
Most parsimonious cladogram from combined analysis of morphological and DNA sequence data (Dikow 2009b, Fig. 2)
arrow indicates root of Asilidae
taxa in yellow indicate monophyletic subfamily taxa
Most parsimonious cladogram from analysis of molecular-only data (Dikow 2009b, Fig. 5)
arrow indicates root of Asilidae
taxa in yellow indicate monophyletic subfamily taxa
