A molecular phylogeny of deer flies and their closest relatives

Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) are an economically, medically, and ecologically important group of insects. Currently, the most accepted classification of the Tabanidae divides the family intro three subfamilies: Tabaninae, Pangoniinae and Chrysopsinae. The Chrysopsinae is the least species rich, with 577 species in 34 genera and 3 tribes worldwide: Bouvieromyiini, with 173 species in 12 genera, Chrysopsini, with 336 species in 9 genera, including the true deer flies Chrysops Meigen, and Rhinomyzini, with 68 species in 13 genera. Previous hypothesis based on morphological data showed a tendency for Bouvieromyiini and Chrysopsini to merge, and the Rhinomyzini to be polyphyletic. However, modern analyses strongly suggest that the subfamily Chrysopsinae is not a natural group, and may be broken into at least four subfamilies. Here, we present current results from phylogenetic analysis based on 3 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear genes for 10 genera of deer flies, 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.