Abai, MR

6th International Congress of DipterologyScathophagidae: Molecular phylogeny and larval naturalhistory evolution of a calyptrate familySujatha, N.K. (1) , M.V. Bernasconi (2), F. Šifner (3) & R. Meier (1)(1) Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block S2, #02-01, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543.(2) Zoological Museum, University of Zurich Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057Zurich, Switzerland.(3) Department of Biology and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education, CharlesUniversity, M. D. Rettigové 4, CZ-116 39 PRAGUE 1, Czech Republic.The 60,000 described species of calyptrates have an unusual diversity inlarval life history traits which range from saprophagy over phytophagy toparasitism and predation. The relatively small family in the calyptrates, theScathophagidae, displays with its 250 described species in 50 genera awide variety of breeding and feeding habits which range from dungfeedingover leaf-mining to predation on caddisfly eggs. Here, we presentthe results of a cladistic analysis based on 63 species from 22 genera basedon DNA sequences from the mitochondrial genes 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA,Cytochrome b and the nuclear genes 28S rDNA, Elongation factor 1-alphaand RNA polymerase II. The results of the cladistic analysis confirm themonophyly of the Scathophagidae. The two subfamilies Scathophaginaeand Delininae are sistergroups and most genera are well supported. Wealso find that Scathophagidae+Anthomyiidae form a strongly supportedclade within the Muscoidea superfamily of the Calyptratae. In addition, wehave also subjected this dataset to an extensive sensitivity analysis in orderto compare the performance of different alignment techniques (Clustal,manual and direct optimization). Based on our tree, phytophagy in theform of leaf mining seems to be the ancestral larval feeding habit. Thespecies in the phytophagous genera (Cordilura, Nanna, Norellia,Gimnomera) are generally host-specific for particular monocot and/or dicothost plants where their behavior can range from boring in culms anddamaging immature flowering heads to feeding on seed capsules andovules. From phytophagy, two shifts to saprophagy have occurred. Mostspecies of Scathophaga are coprophagous, with the larvae of a few species245