Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-5mhkq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-18T08:00:43.588Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

CONVERGENT ADAPTATIONS IN PHORIDAE (DIPTERA) LIVING IN THE NESTS OF SOCIAL INSECTS: A REVIEW OF THE NEW WORLD AENIGMATIINAE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Brian V. Brown
Brian V. Brown*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E3
Get access

Abstract

A review of the New World Aenigmatiinae shows that only one of the five Neotropical Region genera currently classified in this subfamily, Cyrtophorina, could belong in a monophyletic group with the type genus Aenigmatias. The first known male specimens of Borgmeieriphora, Colyeria, and Melittophora are described. Based on the structure of the males, these three genera, referred to as the Melittophora-group of genera, belong in the subfamily Metopininae, and are related to the Apocephalus-group of genera. Three new species of Borgmeieriphora are described: B. multisetosa from Costa Rica; B. greigae from Costa Rica; and B. leptotarsa from Panama. Based on observations of two species, adults of Borgmeieriphora are associated with, and may be parasitoids of, army ants of the genus Eciton. Cootiphora gen.nov., represented by the type species C. angustata sp.nov. from Ecuador, is described and is placed in the Melittophora-group. A reconstructed phylogeny of the Melittophora-group of genera is given, showing their hypothesized relationships: Colyeria is the adelphotaxon (= sister-group) of Borgmeieriphora, whereas the relationships among Melittophora, Cootiphora, and Colyeria + Borgmeieriphora are unresolved. Within Borgmeieriphora, B. multisetosa and B. greigae are adelphotaxa, whereas B. kempfi is the adelphotaxon of B. multisetosa + B. greigae, and B. leptotarsa is the adelphotaxon of all other species. The relationships of Platydipteron, another potential member of the Melittophora-group, are unknown. Examination of males of representative aenigmatiine genera from other zoogeographic regions shows that they may belong in a monophyletic group with Aenigmatias. Convergence between true aenigmatiine genera and Melittophora-group genera is based on the shared, limuloid body form, which is probably a defensive adaptation for living in social insect nests.

Résumé

Une révision des Aenigmatiinae du Nouveau Monde a démontré que seulement l'un des cinq genres néotropicaux qui font actuellement partie de cette sous-famille, le genre Cyrtophorina, peut appartenir à un groupe monophylétique qui comprend le genre type Aenigmatias. On trouvera ici la description des premiers spécimens mâles jamais rencontrés chez les genres Borgmeieriphora, Colyeria et Melittophora. D'après la structure des mâles, ces trois genres, appelés ici genres du groupe Melittophora, appartiennent à la sous-famille des Metopininae et sont apparentés au groupe de genres Apocephalus. Trois nouvelles espèces de Borgmeieriphora sont décrites : B. multisetosa, du Costa Rica, B. greigae, du Costa Rica, et B. leptotarsa du Panama. L'observation de deux espèces a révélé que les adultes de Borgmeieriphora sont associés aux fourmis légionnaires du genre Eciton dont elles sont peut-être des parasitoïdes. Cootiphora gen.nov., représenté par l'espèce type C. angustata sp.nov., de l'équateur, est décrit ici et placé dans le groupe Melittophora. Une phylogénie des genres du groupe Melittophora montre leurs relations possibles : Colyeria est l'adelphotaxon (groupe-soeur) de Borgmeieriphora, alors que les relations entre Melittophora, Cootiphora et Colyeria + Borgmeieriphora ne peuvent être clarifiées. Chez Borgmeieriphora, les espèces B. multisetosa et B. greigae sont des adelphotaxons, alors que B. kempfi est l'adelphotaxon de B. multisetosa + B. greigae, et B. leptotarsa est l'adelphotaxon de toutes les autres espèces. Les relations au sein du genre Platydipteron, un autre membre possible du groupe Melittophora, sont inconnues. L'examen de mâles de genres représentatifs d'Aenigmatiinae d'autres régions géographiques a démontré qu'ils appartiennent peut-être à un groupe monophylétique comprenant aussi Aenigmatias. La convergence entre les genres aenigmatiinés vrais et les genres du groupe Melittophora se manifeste dans la forme limuloïde du corps, caractéristique qui est peut-être une adaptation de défense reliée à la vie dans les nids d'insectes sociaux. [Traduit par la rédaction]

Type
Research Article
Information
The Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada , Volume 125 , Supplement S165 , 1993 , pp. 115 - 137
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

Current address: Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA.

References

Ax, P. 1987. The Phylogenetic System: The Systematization of Living Organisms on the Basis of their Phylogenesis. John Wiley & Sons, London, xiii + 340 pp.Google Scholar
Borgmeier, T. 1962. Epicnemis, a new genus of phorid flies from the East Indies (Diptera: Phoridae). Anais Acad. bras. Ciênc. 34: 171–174.Google Scholar
Borgmeier, T. 1967. Studies on the Indo-Australian phorid flies, based mainly on material of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the United States National Museum (Diptera, Phoridae). Studia ent. 9(1966): 129–328.Google Scholar
Borgmeier, T. 1968. A catalogue of the Phoridae of the World (Diptera, Phoridae). Studia ent. 11: 1–367.Google Scholar
Borgmeier, T., and Prado, A.P.do 1975. New or little known phorid flies with descriptions of eight new genera (Dipt. Phoridae). Studia ent. 18: 3–90.Google Scholar
Brown, B.V. 1986. Striking sexual dimorphism and its taxonomic consequences among New World phorid flies (Diptera). Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 88: 787–788.Google Scholar
Brown, B.V. 1987. Revision of the Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae) of the Holarctic Region: classification, reconstructed phylogeny and geographic history. Syst. Ent. 12: 271–304.Google Scholar
Brown, B.V. 1988. Additions to the phorid chapter in the “Manual of Nearctic Diptera, volume 2” (Diptera: Phoridae). Can. Ent. 120: 307–322.Google Scholar
Brown, B.V. 1992. Generic revision of Phoridae of the Nearctic Region and phylogenetic classification of Phoridae, Sciadoceridae and Ironomyiidae (Diptera: Phoridea). Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 164: 146 pp.Google Scholar
Brown, B.V., Francoeur, A., and Gibson, R.L.. 1991. Review of the genus Styletta (Diptera: Phoridae), with description of a new genus. Ent. scand. 22: 241–250.Google Scholar
Brues, C.T. 1915. Some new Phoridae from Java. Jl N. Y. ent. Soc. 23: 184–193.Google Scholar
Brues, C.T. 1928. Some Colombian Phoridae from the nests of stingless bees. Psyche 35: 134–137.Google Scholar
Cooper, K.W. 1990. Likely causes and explanation of probable atavism in a somatically mosaic fly from a wild population (Diptera, Asilidae, Nannocyrtopogon minutus). Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 92: 373–384.Google Scholar
Disney, R.H.L. 1988. Biology and taxonomy of Old World Puliciphora (Diptera: Phoridae) with descriptions of nine new species. Orient. Insects 22: 267–286.Google Scholar
Donisthorpe, H. St.J.K. 1927. The Guests of British Ants; Their Habits and Life Histories. George Routledge and Sons, London. 244 pp.Google Scholar
Edwards, F.W., and Schmitz, H.. 1939. New data concerning Thaumatoxena Breddin & Börner. Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (B) 8: 79–87.Google Scholar
Farris, J.S. 1989. Hennig86: A PC-DOS program for phylogenetic analysis. Cladistics 5: 163.Google Scholar
Feener, D.H. Jr., 1981. Competition between ant species: Outcome controlled by parasitic flies. Science 214: 815–817.Google Scholar
Feener, D.H. Jr., 1988. Effects of parasites on foraging and defense behavior of a termitophagous ant, Pheidole titanis Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 22: 421–427.Google Scholar
Feener, D.H. Jr.,, and Brown, B.V., 1992. Reduced foraging of the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in the presence of parasitic phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae). Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 85: 80–84.Google Scholar
Ferrar, P. 1987. A Guide to the Breeding Habits and Immature Stages of Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Volume 1 & 2. Entomograph, 8. Brill/Scandinavian Science Press, Leiden. 907 pp.Google Scholar
Gotô, T. 1983. Discovery of the genus Aenigmatias Meinert from Japan, with a redescription of A. dorni (Enderlein) (Diptera, Phoridae). Esakia 20: 139–148.Google Scholar
Hennig, W. 1966. Phylogenetic Systematics. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL. xiii + 263 pp.Google Scholar
Kistner, D.H. 1969. The biology of termitophiles. pp. 525–557in Krishna, K., and Weesner, F.M. (Eds.), Biology of Termites. Volume I. Academic Press, New York & London.Google Scholar
Kistner, D.H. 1979. Social and evolutionary significance of social insect symbionts. pp. 339–413in Hermann, H.R. (Ed.), Social Insects. Volume I. Academic Press, New York & London.Google Scholar
Kistner, D.H. 1982. The social insect's bestiary. pp. 1–244in Hermann, H.R. (Ed.), Social Insects. Volume III. Academic Press, New York & London.Google Scholar
Meinert, F. 1890. Aenigmatias blattoides, dipteron novum apterum. Ent. Meddr 2: 212–226.Google Scholar
Miller, P.L. 1984. Alternative reproductive routines in a small fly, Puliciphora borinquenensis (Diptera: Phoridae). Ecol. Ent. 9: 293–302.Google Scholar
Peterson, B.V. 1987. Phoridae. pp. 689–712in McAlpine, J.F., Peterson, B.V., Shewell, G.E., Teskey, H.J., Vockeroth, J.R., and Wood, D.M. (Eds.), Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Volume 2. Agriculture Canada Monograph 28. Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.Google Scholar
Platnick, N.I. 1989. An empirical comparison of microcomputer parsimony programs, II. Cladistics 5: 145–161.Google Scholar
Prado, A.P. do. 1976. Records and descriptions of phorid flies, mainly of the Neotropical Region (Diptera; Phoridae). Studia ent. 19: 561–609.Google Scholar
Rettenmeyer, C.W., and Akre, R.D.. 1968. Ectosymbiosis between phorid flies and army ants. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 61: 1317–1326.Google Scholar
Salt, G. 1929. A contribution to the ethology of the Meliponinae. Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 77: 431–470.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1914. Die myrmecophilen Phoriden der Wasmann'schen Sammlung, mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und termitophilen Phoriden. Zool. Jb. Abt. Syst. Oekol. Geogr. 37: 509–566.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1915. Neue Beiträge zur Kenntnis der myrmecophilen und termitophilen Phoriden. Nummer 2-15. Dt. ent. Z. (1915): 465–507.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1929. Revision der Phoriden. F. Dümmler, Bonn & Berlin. 211 pp.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1933. Zwei neue exotische Phoriden. Natuurh. Maandbl. 22: 34–36, 43, 44.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1938. Misotermes exenterans n.g. n.sp., eine parasitische Fliege aus der Familie der Phoriden, welche die Entstehung myiagener Soldaten bei Macrotermes gilvus Hag. in Java verursacht (mit biologischen Beobachtungen von Dr. L.G.E. Kalshoven). Treubia 16: 369–397.Google Scholar
Schmitz, H. 1955. Phoridae. pp. 321–386in Lindner, E. (Ed.), Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region. Volume 180. E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart.Google Scholar
Shelford, R. 1908. Aenigmatistes africanus, a new genus and species of Diptera. J. Linn. Soc. Lond., Zool. 30: 150–155.Google Scholar
Silvestri, F. 1947. Contributo alla conoscenza dei Phoridae termitofili del Brasile. Acta Pontif. Acad. Sci. 10: 281–296.Google Scholar
Tuomikowski, R. 1967. Notes on some principles of phylogenetic systematics. Ann. ent. fenn. 33: 137–147.Google Scholar
Verrall, G.H. 1877. Description of a new genus and species of Phoridae parasitic on ants. J. Linn. Soc. Lond., Zool. 13: 258–260.Google Scholar