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Year
3 Therevid NSF PEET Report: Upcoming Monography
To
Be Done
Summary of work to be performed during the next year of support,
if changed from the original proposal; an indication of any current
problems or favorable or unusual developments; and any other significan
information pertinent to the type of project supported by NSF or
as specified by the terms and conditions of the grant.
2C) Monographic Treatments
 Establishing the higher groupings
Genus level revisions
Additional Research
Anticipated Publications
2C
Monographic Treatments
Establishing higher groupings.
Morphological progress. Irwin's lab is continuing
to gather together specimens, enter data into the databases,
and make critical observations on therevid morphology. Meanwhile,
specimens of critical taxa are being collected during expeditions
and preserved in 100% ethanol for molecular studies.
While
Co-PI David Yeates is on sabbatical leave for 2 months starting
May 1, 1998 with Irwin, they will complete a comprehensive cladistic
analysis of the Therevidae based on over 100 morphological characters.
This analysis will help resolve the relationships between, and
identity of, the therevid subfamilies, tribes, and genus-groups
of the world.
A
comprehensive treatment of the higher level classification of
the Therevidae and its close relatives will be published based
on external and internal morphology. This will set up the hypotheses
to be tested by the molecular approach in Wiegmann's lab.
Molecular progress at North Carolina State University
will continue towards building a stable phylogenetic classification
of therevid genera. Dopa decarboxylase and PEPCK genes will
be amplified for a subset of the larger therevid dataset. Manuscripts
will be prepared for publication, including results of the following
current project-funded studies:
 Analyses of 28S rDNA and EF1a in Therevidae;
Higher
level phylogeny of the lower Brachycera;
An
improved time-scale for dipteran diversification;
Molecular
phylogeny of the therevid genus Ozodiceromyia.
Genus level revisions.
Status of Brachylinga. The species-group
concepts is being refined while Mr. Metz continues to sort specimens
to species-group and to species using both external morphology
and genitalic characters. A study of the holotypes will illuminate
the current nomenclature of the genus and necessitate a trip
to European collections that are reluctant to loan type material.
Monophyly of the genus will be established before a descriptive
treatment of the species is to be considered. A preliminary
treatment of "Brachylinga group" genera may
be necessary before the Brachylinga species are treated.
A paper on the higher level groupings of Brachylinga
will be submitted for publication.
Status of Lindneria. Specimens in
and near Lindneria are being examined for character analysis.
Monophyly of the genus will be tested and a number of closely
related genera may require study and description. All taxa will
continue to be illustrated for inclusion in the final monograph
that we expect to have in press by this time next year.
Status of Ozodiceromyia. The large number
of new species are currently being described and placed into
a phylogenetic context. This work will likely be completed by
the end of 1998. All specimens are sorted to species, and new
species have been assigned manuscript names and are currently
being described. Through parsimony analysis, the genus will
have a fully phylogenetic classification.
Status of Cyclotelus. Specimens of this
genus are currently being sorted to species, and names based
on study of types will be applied to sorted species. New species
will be described and old species will be redescribed and placed
within a phylogenetic framework. This genus should be completed
by this time next year and a draft monograph developed.
Status of Thereva and Acrosathe.
Having studied specimens of Thereva from the Nearctic
in detail, graduate student Holston will expand the scope of
his morphological study to Thereva of other biotic regions.
An attempt will be made to divide the genus into monophyletic
groups based on morpohology.
Anticipated Publications
- Gaimari,
S. D. and M. B. Mostovski. A new genus for Psilocephala
electrella Cockerell from burmite (Diptera: Asiloidea).
Bulletin of the Natural History Museum (London). [special
volume on burmite geology and paleontology], submitted.
- Gaimari,
S. D. and M. E. Irwin. Phylogenetic revision of the
cycloteline genus Ozodiceromyia Bigot (Diptera: Therevidae)
- Gaimari,
S. D. and M. E. Irwin. Phylogeny, classification,
and biogeography of the cycloteline Therevinae (Diptera: Therevidae).
- Irwin,
M. E. and D. K. Yeates. Towards an internal classification
of the family Therevidae.
- Winterton,
S. L., M. E. Irwin, D. K. Yeates. Systematics of [Australian
genus A] gen. nov. (Diptera: Therevidae) from Australia. Invertebrate
Taxonomy, in press.
- Yeates,
D. K. and O. Ovtchinichova. The male genital musculature
of Therevidae and Scenopinidae (Diptera: Asiloidea): Structure,
Homology, and Phylogenetic Implications. The Australian Journal
of Entomology, in press
- Yeates
D. K. and B. M. Wiegmann. Congruence and controversy:
Towards a higher-level phylogeny of the Diptera. Annual Review
of Entomology, submitted, in review.
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