A revision of the genera of thick-headed flies (Conopidae: Diptera) based on molecular and morphological character data

Conopidae is a fascinating family of parasitic flies. Most species are endoparasitoids of bees and wasps as larvae, while members of one subfamily (Stylogasterinae) attack cockroaches and crickets. They are economically and ecologically important as parasitoids of important pollinators. Despite the fact that over eight hundred species have been described, there has been little phylogenetic and higher-level taxonomic work completed on Conopidae. No phylogeny for the family has been attempted. Neither genitalic nor molecular characters have yet been used to test species, generic, or subfamily concepts. I present the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the family based on molecular and morphological characters. DNA was extracted from 64 conopid specimens representing 24 genera. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA were amplified with PCR and sequenced. Large segments of the 12S ribosomal RNA gene, the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, the 28S ribosomal RNA gene, the cytochrome b gene, and the alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AATS) gene were included in a data matrix of over 5800 bp. To this was added a suite of morphological characters. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed on the complete dataset to produce a preferred phylogenetic hypothesis. All four current subfamilies are recovered as monophyletic with strong support. Also recovered with strong support is the previously proposed subfamily Zodioninae. Stylogasterinae is recovered as sister to the remaining Conopidae.