Abai, MR

6th International Congress of DipterologyThe Empis hyalea-group (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae)in Asia: phylogenetic systematics, specific richness,distribution and habitatsDaugeron, Ch. (1, 2) & P. Grootaert (2)(1) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, USM601 & CNRS, UMR 5202, 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France(2) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Department of Entomology, Rue Vautier,29, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumThe Empis hyalea-group is one of the richest species groups within thesubfamily Empidinae. It is considerably diversified in the Oriental region,especially in Southeast Asia. Apparently it is the only Empidinae speciesgroupthat adapted well to tropical conditions. All other Empidinaeoccurring in the same habitats are absent, contrary to the northernhemisphere where many different species groups cohabit.The Empis (C.) hyalea-group is a large monophyletic group that can bedivided into six well-defined clades. Seventy-two species are now includedin this group; however, many new species, especially from the OrientalRegion, remain to be described. In addition, several other species alreadydescribed and for which the taxonomic status is still problematic probablybelong to this group. Eventually, after revision of major Asian andAustralian collections of Empidinae, the number of species should easilyexceed 100 (Daugeron & Grootaert, 2004; 2005; 2006).Although the present phylogenetic analysis includes only 42 species, thepreliminary results show sistergroup relationships between altitude andcoastal species (or species groups) in a repeated way. As most speciesoccur in primary or secondary rain forests, it is here hypothesized that thepresent specific diversity originated in forest fragmentations that occurredduring ice ages. Consequently, we propose that the E. (C.) hyalea-group isa relevant model for future studies on the impact of Quaternary climatechanges on Asian biodiversity. Because we have now a much betterknowledge of its taxonomy, phylogeny and ecology, the E. hyalea groupcould also be used as a relevant model to characterize sensible54