Atelestidae

Atelestidae is a family of true flies in the superfamily Empidoidea. The four genera were placed in a separate family in 1983;[1] they were formerly either in Platypezidae (which are not even particularly closely related) or considered incertae cedis. While they are doubtless the most basal of the living Empidoidea, the monophyly of the family is not fully proven.[2] The genus Nemedina seems to represent a most ancient lineage among the entire superfamily, while Meghyperus is probably not monophyletic in its present delimitation, and it is liable to be split up eventually, with some species being placed elsewhere.[3]

Atelestidae
Atelestus pulicarius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Superfamily: Empidoidea
Family: Atelestidae
Hennig, 1970
Genera
  • Acarteroptera
  • Atelestus Walker, 1837
  • Meghyperus
  • Nemedina

Atelestidae has been shown to form the sister group to the remaining members of the Empidoidea superfamily. Subfamilies include Atelestinae and Nemedininae.[4]

Description
Right wing of Atelestus pulicarius, showing humeral crossvein (h), radial sector (Rs), costa and first and second medial vein (M1+2).[4]

Atelestidae are small (2–3 mm) greyish-dusted flies. They are quite similar to Empididae and Ragadidae as all three families have a symmetrical male terminalia without rotation, and the origin of vein Rs (radial sector) is at a distance from humeral crossvein (h) as long or longer than length of h. However, it is distinguished from Ragadidae by a costa ending at or near the first and second medial vein (M1+2), and from Empididae by having the prosternum separated from proepisternum.[4]

They have a disjunct distribution, being found in both the Holarctic and southern Neotropical regions (Chile).

Systematics


Based on the most recent phylogenetic studies[4], the relationship between Atelestidae and other members of Empidoidea is as follows. The placement of Atelestidae is emphasized in bold formatting.

Atelestidae
 
 

Atelestinae

 
 

Nemedininae

 
 
 
 
Hybotidae
 

Bicellariinae

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hybotinae

 
 

Oedaleinae

 
 
 

Ocydromiinae

 
 
 

Trichininae

 
 
Tachydromiinae
 
 

Tachydromiini

 
 

Symballaphthalmini

 
 
 

Drapetini

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dolichopodidae

 
 
Ragadidae
 

Iteaphilinae

 
 

Ragadinae

 
 
Empididae
 

Clinocerinae

 
 
Brachystomatinae
 

Brachystomatini

 
 

Ceratomerini

 
 

Trichopezini

 
 
Empidinae
 
 

Chelipodini

 
 

Empidini

 
 
 
 

Hemerodromiini

 
 

Hilarini

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Footnotes
  1. Chvála (1983)
  2. Moulton & Wiegmann (2007)
  3. ToL (2007)
  4. Wahlberg & Johanson (2018)

References
  • Chvála, M. (1983): The Empidoidea (Diptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. II. General Part. The families Hybotidae, Atelestidae and Microphoridae. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 12: 1–279.
  • Moulton, J. K. & Wiegmann, B. M. (2007): The phylogenetic relationships of flies in the superfamily Empidoidea (Insecta: Diptera). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43(3): 701-713. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.02.029 PMID 17468014 (HTML abstract)
  • Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) (2007): Atelestidae. Version of 2007-NOV-29. Retrieved 2008-JUL-30.
  • Wahlberg, E. & Johanson, K.A. (2018): Molecular phylogenetics reveals novel relationships within Empidoidea (Diptera). Systematic Entomology 43(4): 619–636. doi:10.1111/syen.12297
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.