Abai, MR

6th International Congress of DipterologyPhylogenetic analysis of the superfamily Tipuloidea(Diptera) based on combined morphological and molecularcharactersPetersen, M.J. (1) & M. Bertone (2)(1) Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010Email: mp13@iastate.edu(2) Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695Email: maberton2@unity.ncsu.eduThe phylogenetic relationships of the lower Diptera have been highlycontentious because of the incongruence in placement of manyunderstudied taxonomic groups. Of these, the placement of crane flies(Diptera; Tipuloidea) within the lower Diptera has been highly problematic,the group having been placed equivocally as the most basal to one of themost highly derived clades. While well understood in terms of richness (>15,000 species), the phylogenetic relationships of the Tipuloidea are stilllargely unknown. A cladistic analysis utilizing a character matrixcomprised of both morphological (larval, pupal, and adult) and molecular(28s rDNA and CAD) characters was conducted in order to: (1) resolvedthe intrafamiliar phylogenetic relationships of the Tipuloidea, (2) providestability in taxonomy within this group, and (3) aid in their placementwithin the Diptera. Independent and combined morphological andmolecular analyses were largely congruent and showed monophyleticCylindrotomidae, Pediciidae, and Tipulidae clades. The Pediciidae are seento represent the basal most crane fly group and are a sister-group to theTipulidae/Limoniidae/Cylindrotomidae clade. The subfamilies ofLimoniidae (Chioneinae, Limnophilinae, and Limoniinae) were onlyweakly recovered and the group as a whole was recovered as aparaphyletic group in respect to the Tipulidae/Cylindrotomidae clade.Keywords: Diptera, Tipuloidea, crane fly, Tipulidae, Limoniidae∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗194