A molecular phylogeny of deer flies and their closest relatives

The family Tabanidae comprises about 4500 extant species worldwide and includes some of the largest biting flies. Nearly all female are blood-feeders as adults, but many are also important pollinators of angiosperm flowers. The blood-feeding females are responsible for the mechanical transmission of several parasites of human and veterinary significance. The family Tabanidae is subdivided into three main subfamilies: Tabaninae, Pangoniinae and Chrysopsinae. The subfamily Chrysopsinae is the least species rich, with 580 species in 35 genera, and 3 tribes worldwide: Bouvieromyiini, with 147 species in 13 genera; Chrysopsini, with 336 species in 8 genera; and Rhinomyzini, with 69 species in 14 genera. The monophyly of the Tabanidae is well supported by both molecular and morphological evidence. Molecular analyses support the monophyly of the subfamilies Pangoniinae and Tabaninae, but Chrysopsinae is not recovered as monophyletic with less than 50% bootstrap support for its relationship with Tabaninae, hence suggesting only two monophyletic subfamilies of Chrysopsinae or the delineation of four or more. Previous hypothesis based on morphological data for the tribes showed a tendency for Bouvieromyiini and Chrysopsini to merge, and the Rhinomyzini to be polyphyletic. Here, we present current results from phylogenetic analysis based on 3 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear genes for 10 genera of Chrysopsinae, aiming to test the monophyly and relationship of existing tribes in order to support a new classification at the subfamily level. A divergence time analysis is used to estimate ages of major lineages within the radiation of deer flies.