Abai, MR

6th International Congress of DipterologyApystomyia, Evocoidae and the therevoid clade: What do weknow about the relationships of the asiloid flies?Yeates, D., Schlinger FellowAustralian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Entomology, PO Box 1700 Canberra ACT2601.The asiloids represent the first major radiation of brachyceran flies,containing well over 15,000 species, and much of their early evolution hasbeen linked to angiosperm diversification in the early Cretaceous. Recentprogress in our understanding of the relationships between the asiloidfamilies have been driven by the following three major developments: (1)the discovery of an entirely new family in the southern hemisphere, (2) thereinterpretation of the relationships of enigmatic lineages, and (3) theresults from analyses of new molecular datasets. I report here on areanalysis of asiloid family-level relationships in the context of the LowerBrachycera and Eremoneura. Particular attention will be focused on theanatomy and relationships of the new Chilean family Evocoidae, and itsplacement in the therevoid clade near the Scenopinidae. The relationshipsof the enigmatic genus Apystomyia is reassessed based on a large series ofspecimens recently collected at the type locality in the San BernadinoMountains of California. Family status is warranted for Apystomyia,which is more closely related to Eremoneura than the asiloids. Futureresearch directions, including character systems worthy of more detailedstudy, will be discussed in the light of recent molecular analyses.Key Words: Asiloidea, Apystomyia, Evocoidae, phylogeny∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗322