Biogeography and speciation of giant flower loving flies Rhaphiomidas (Diptera: Mydidae)

The sand dunes of the Southwest deserts of the United States and Mexico hold a unique assemblage of plants and animals. The island-like nature of sand dunes, and the extreme conditions they present, requires that many species be uniquely adapted for life in these environments. More detailed studies of the biogeographic and ecological characteristics of dune endemic taxa will allow us to better understand how biodiversity is generated and maintained in these specialized habitats. The genus Rhaphiomidas (Diptera: Mydidae) provides an excellent model system for this line of research. Rhaphiomidas are restricted to the deserts of North America, and most are endemic to a single sand dune system. A robust phylogeny, based on a combination of morphology, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, will provide a hypothesis of relationships in this group and give insight into the historical factors that may have influenced species formation in this genus. Current efforts focus on species delimitation in the Rhaphiomidas acton group.