Phylogenetic relationships of Central and South American flatwing damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera: Megapodagrionidae): An examination of monophyly in a convoluted group

A phylogenetic analysis was carried out on the Neotropical flatwing damselflies (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae), using both morphological and molecular data. Megapodagrionidae has a worldwide distribution, yet its monophyly is questionable, as are the major groupings within the family (Bybee et al., 2008). Neotropical lineages were shown to be especially problematic. All 13 Neotropical genera were examined; in addition to 20 outgroup taxa (e.g., old world megapodagrionids: Austroargiolestes, Caledopteryx, Pseudolestes and Rhipidolestes; coenagrionoids; calopterygoids and Thaumatoneura. Analyses were rooted to Lestes disjunctus. 52 Morphological characters were coded for each taxon in the analysis. Molecular data was analyzed for six genes: 12s, 16s, 28s, COii, ND1 and h3 (~4800bp). Molecular data was combined with morphological data under Bayesian (MrBayes) and Parsimony (TNT) methods for tree reconstruction. Megapodagrionidae is not supported as monophyletic but the taxon sampling for old world groups is not exhaustive. Trees do not reconstruct the Neotropical Megapodagrionidae as a monophyletic clade. Neotropical genera are distributed across several clades that include old world megapodagrionids (e.g., Teinopodagrion and Allopodagrion). Interestingly, Thaumatoneura (Central American) appears to be sister to Paraphlebia supporting this monospecific genus as a megapodagrionid, a relationship suggested by Calvert in 1902, but currently no supported by other phylogenetic studies. Though Megapodagrionidae is not monophyletic the most primitive lineage representing the group has its origins in the Neotropics. The larger monophyletic clade representing “Megapodagrionidae” has no clear pattern of distribution or correlation with geography among genera.