Molecular phylogeny of Tachinidae family (Diptera, Brachycera, Calyptratae) based on next generation sequency, focusing on subfamily relationships and limits

• Grant number: 19/00366-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Silvio Shigueo Nihei
• Grantee: Letícia Chiara Baldassio de Paula
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Tachinidae is one of the biggest families in Diptera, with about 8.500 described species, being the Neotropical region the most diverse. Currently, it is divided in 4 subfamilies: Dexiinae, Exoristinae, Phasiinae, Tachininae. The subfamilies of Tachinidae has a long history of changes and uncertainties in the classifications. There is a large number of phylogenetic and morphological studies that have discrepant results among them regarding the relationship between the subfamilies. Due to the difficulty of constructing a morphological phylogeny, studies with molecular data where developed. With different types of data as, traditional genes (COI, EF1±, 28S rDNA, among others), DNA and nuclear genes or mitochondrial genome. The obtained results with molecular data do not always corroborate the morphological phylogenies. The phylogenetic studies with transcriptome are new and have paved the way for the study of a large amount of genetic information. Works with transcriptome facilitated the functional genomic research in species with limited genetic and financial resources, including "nom-model" organisms, which are of great ecological and evolutionary importance. In view of the advantage of this method nowadays, the goal of this project is to work with transcriptome sequences and ortholog genes to understand the subfamilies relationships of Tachinidae family. (AU)