A Phylogenetic Framework for the Tachinid Fly Tribe Blondeliini (Diptera: Tachinidae: Exoristinae)

Much of the great Neotropical species richness of the parasitoid fly family Tachinidae (Diptera) is found within the exoristine tribe Blondeliini. This species diversity is particularly concentrated within a number of genera, including the piercer-possessing genera of the “ Blondelia genus group”. Unfortunately, the blondeliines are plagued with a history of taxonomic inflation, poor descriptions, and confusing morphology, thus making it unclear whether these intriguing oviposition structures are homologous or convergent. We therefore present a molecular phylogeny for the Blondeliini using three informative nuclear genes, which resolves the relationships between the key centers of diversity in the tribe and the monophyly of the Blondelia group. This framework will serve as a baseline for future taxonomic work within the tribe.