Phylogeny of the syrphoidea (Diptera) inferred from mtDNA sequences and morphology with particular reference to classification of the pipunculidae (Diptera).

Sequence data from 420 bp of mitochondrial 12s ribosomal DNA and 490 bp of 16s rDNA were analyzed for 27 species of Syrphoidea (Diptera) and two outgroup taxa. Morphological data for the Pipunculidae were combined with the pipunculid molecular data set. A partition homogeneity test on these data sets revealed no significant incongruence. The pipunculid phylogeny from molecular data closely resembles the published phylogeny based on morphology, with differences only with respect to the Nephrocerinae. There is very strong support for the monophyly of the Pipunculinae and the Chalarinae. The Nephrocerinae are hypothesized to be paraphyletic. Within the Syrphidae, there is support for a monophyletic Syrphinae and Microdontinae, but the Eristalinae are paraphyletic. More data are needed to resolve the eristaline phylogeny.