Ephemeroptera (mayflies) is the first group of insects to have ever taken flight and is also unique by having a non-reproductive winged stage that molts (subimago). Despite these peculiarities, phylogenetic relationships among mayfly families are debatable and in some groups poorly known. No formal analysis using a character coded matrix across all families has ever been presented. This study presents data based on five genes (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, 16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, and histone 3) and 100 genera of mayflies representing all major lineages. Sequence data were analyzed via optimization alignment which produced a robust topology. These analyses demonstrate that the majority of families are monophyletic, that Baetidae is the sister group to the remaining mayflies, and that the pisciform body type has evolved multiple times during mayfly evolution.
Species 1: Ephemeroptera (Mayfly)
Species 2: Odonata
Keywords: DNA, systematics
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