Filogenia do gênero Speiseria Kessel, 1925 (Diptera: Streblidae)

Abstract

The genus Speiseria Kessel, 1925 (Diptera: Streblidae) comprises three species of ectoparasitic flies associated with bats: S. ambigua Kessel, 1925; S. magnioculus Wenzel, 1976; and S. peytonae Wenzel, 1976. This group is distributed across the Neotropical region, with records from countries such as Venezuela, Panama, and Brazil. Since its description, the genus has lacked systematic studies proposing phylogenetic relationships among its species. Thus, the aim of this work was to conduct a cladistic analysis to hypothesize the relationships between the species. Morphological data from specimens housed in the Zoological Collection of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (ZUFMS) were analyzed using a stereomicroscope. The matrix was constructed using the Mesquite software version 3.81. The outgroup included four taxa: Nycterophilia, Parastrebla handleyi, Trichobioides perspicillatus, and Trichobius uniformis, with the first taxon used for rooting. In total, 14 morphological characters were compiled. A parsimony analysis was performed using the software T.N.T. version 1.6. Speiseria was found to be monophyletic, with S. ambigua and S. peytonae being more closely related to each other than to S. magnioculus. The monophyly is supported by two synapomorphies: nine ocular facets in each eye and thicker lateral margin setae on the second sternite compared to the central ones.