Classification of Asilidae sensu Dikow 2009a

For a searchable database to the classification sensu Dikow 2009, including all genera, see asiloidflies.si.edu.

The comprehensive cladistic study by Dikow (2009a) proposes a revised, phylogenetic classification of Asilidae into 14 subfamily taxa. This phylogenetic study is based on a sample of 158 species from 140 genera representing all 11 previously recognised subfamily taxa and 39 of the 42 tribal taxa. Download a free PDF from the AMNH library.

Only 140 out of 537 Asilidae genera (Geller-Grimm 2004) have been included in the phylogenetic analysis by Dikow (2009a). However, all genera classified by Geller-Grimm (2004) in Apocleinae + Asilinae (174 genera, 29 included in Dikow (2009a)), Dioctriinae (11, 6 included), Laphriinae + Laphystiinae (109, 27 included), Leptogastrinae (18, 5 included), Ommatiinae (8, 4 included plus Afroestricus), Stichopogoninae (11, 4 included), and Trigonomiminae (11, 4 included) can easily be placed within the revised classification as all of these taxa have been diagnosed sufficiently to evaluate whether the remaining unstudied genera are representatives of these monophyletic taxa.

Fifty-nine genera of Dasypogoninae and Stenopogoninae sensu previous authors were included in Dikow (2009a) so that only 127 genera of these two taxa remain to be addressed in future phylogenetic analyses and placed within the higher-level taxa recognised in this revised classification.

The placement of the 140 studied genera is found below and diagnoses with autapomorphic and apomorphic character states for all subfamily and tribal taxa can be found by following the subfamily taxon links. The phylogenetic hypothesis, which is the basis for the revised classification, can be found here.

Asilinae

  • Apocleini: Apoclea, Megaphorus, Philodicus, Promachus
  • Asilini: Asilus
  • Lycomyini: Lycomya
  • Machimini: Machimus
  • Neomochtherini: Afromochtherus, Neomochtherus
  • Philonicini: Philonicus
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Blepharotes, Clephydroneura, Colepia, Congomochtherus, Dasophrys, Dysmachus, Eichoichemus, Heligmonevra, Lochmorhynchus, Myaptex, Neoitamus, Neolophonotus (see Londt (2004) for synonymy of genus), Nomomyia, Pogonioefferia, Proctacanthus, Satanas, Threnia, Tolmerus, Zosteria
  • Genera not studied by Dikow (2009a), but previously placed in either Apocleinae (sensu previous authors) or Asilinae

    • Bathypogoninae

  • Bathypogon
  • Genera not studied by Dikow (2009a), but possibly belonging to Bathypogoninae:
    Carebaricus

    • Brachyrhopalinae

  • Brachyrhopalini: Austrosaropogon, Brachyrhopala, Cabasa
  • Ceraturgini: Ceraturgus, Nannocyrtopogon
  • Chrysopogonini: Chrysopogon, Codula
  • Cyrtopogonini: Afroholopogon, Cyrtopogon, Dasycyrton
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Cophura, Heteropogon, Holopogon, Leptarthrus, Metapogon, Nicocles, Rhabdogaster

    • Dasypogoninae

  • Blepharepiini: Blepharepium
  • Dasypogonini: Dasypogon
  • Lastauracini: Neodiogmites
  • Megapodini: Cyrtophryina: Cyrtophrys, Deromyia
  • Megapodini: Lagodiina: Pegesimallus
  • Megapodini: Megapodina: Megapoda, Pseudorus
  • Megapodini: Senobasina: Senobasis
  • Molobratiini: Molobratia
  • Saropogonini: Saropogon
  • Thereutriini: Thereutria
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Archilestris, Diogmites, Lestomyia

    • Dioctriinae

  • Dioctriini: Dioctria, Eudioctria, Nannodioctria
  • Echthodopini: Echthodopa
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Broticosia, Dicolonus, Myelaphus
  • Genera not studied by Dikow (2009a), but previously placed in Dioctriinae:

    • Laphriinae

  • Andrenosomatini: Andrenosoma, Dasyllis, Hyperechia, Pilica, Proagonistes
  • Atomosiini: Aphestia, Atomosia, Cerotainia, Goneccalypsis, Loewinella, Orthogonis, Smeryngolaphria
  • Ctenotini: Lamyra, Stiphrolamyra
  • Hoplistomerini: Hoplistomerus, Trichardis
  • Laphriini: Choerades, Lampria, Laphria, Maira
  • Laphystiini: Laphystia
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Laxenecera, Nusa, Perasis, Protometer, Psilocurus, Zabrops

    • Leptogastrinae

  • Acronychini: Acronyches
  • Leptogastrini: Beameromyia, Euscelidia, Lasiocnemus, Leptogaster, Tipulogaster

    • Ommatiinae

  • Afroestricus, Cophinopoda, Emphysomera, Michotamia, Ommatius

    • Phellinae

  • Obelophorus, Phellus

    • Stenopogoninae

  • Enigmomorphini: Connomyia, Creolestes, Daspletis, Microstylum, Prolepsis
  • Plesiommatini: Plesiomma
  • Stenopogonini: Gonioscelis, Ospriocerus, Scleropogon, Stenopogon
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Ancylorhynchus, Scylaticus

    • Stichopogoninae

  • Stichopogonini: Lissoteles, Stichopogon
  • Genera not placed within above tribal taxa:
    Lasiopogon, Townsendia

    • Tillobromatinae

  • Hypenetes, Lycostommyia, Tillobroma

    • Trigonomiminae

  • Trigonomimini: Holcocephala, Rhipidocephala, Trigonomima
  • Xenomyzini: Damalis

    • Willistonininae

  • Ablautus, Acnephalomyia, Ammodaimon, Sisyrnodytes, Sporadothrix, Trichoura, Willistonina

    • incertae sedis

  • The two genera Coleomyia and Oligopogon could not be placed in any of the higher-level taxa and no family-group names are available for them. Coleomyia was placed in the Stenopogoninae: Tillobromatini sensu Artigas & Papavero (1991) and Geller-Grimm (2004), but it is not recovered within either taxon and is placed in an unresolved trichotomy with Dasypogoninae and Stenopogoninae. Oligopogon is placed as sister taxon to a large clade composed of Brachyrhopalinae, Dioctriinae, Leptogastrinae, Stichopogoninae, and Trigonomiminae. It had been placed in Stenopogoninae and Trigonomiminae before (see Geller-Grimm & Hradský 2003, for a summary).
  • The monogeneric family-group taxa Archilaphriinae (Archilaphria), Dasylechiini (Dasylechia), and Neophoneini (Neophoneus) were not represented in Dikow (2009a) and no comment on their phylogenetic relationships can be made. Archilaphria was placed within Dasypogoninae sensu previous authors and Dasylechia and Neophoneus in Laphriinae (Papavero 1973, Geller-Grimm 2004).