Flies getting filthy: The precopulatory mating behaviours of three mud‐dwelling species of Australian Lispe (Diptera: Muscidae)

Unravelling phylogenetic relationships within the genus Lispe (Diptera: Muscidae) through genome-assisted and de novo analyses of RAD-seq data

Lispe represents a species-rich genus within the family Muscidae. The current subdivision of Lispe species into species groups is based mainly on adult morphology and ecology, with the only available phylogenetic study based on three molecular markers. Nonetheless, certain species groups remain unclear and the relationships and composition of these groups are still unresolved. This study employs restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) with both reference-based and de novo reads assembly approaches to investigate relationships within Lispe. To apply a reference-based approach we utilised Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long read sequencing to assemble a draft genome of L. tentaculata. We evaluated various assemblers for ONT reads of L. tentaculata in order to demonstrate the highest effectiveness in terms of completeness and assembly quality. The resulting phylogenetic trees topologies are well supported and present a consistent division into three main clades: 1) the palposa-, rigida- and caesia-groups, 2) the nicobarensis-, nivalis-, scalaris- and tentaculata-groups and 3) the longicollis-, desjardinsii-, uliginosa- and kowarzi-groups. The primary discrepancy between topologies obtained under our various analytical approaches is the relationship between the leucospila-group and all other ingroup taxa, being a sister taxon either to all remaining Lispe or to a clade consisting of the longicollis-, desjardinsii-, uliginosa- and kowarzi-groups. Lispe polonaise, included for the first time in a molecular phylogenetic analysis, is nested within the caesia-group. Similarly, L. capensis and the hitherto unassigned L. mirabilis belong to the tentaculata-group. Our study confirms the validity of the 14 species groups currently recognised in the genus Lispe.

The ephemeral resource patch concept

Ephemeral resource patches (ERPs) - short lived resources including dung, carrion, temporary pools, rotting vegetation, decaying wood, and fungi - are found throughout every ecosystem. Their short-lived dynamics greatly enhance ecosystem heterogeneity and have shaped the evolutionary trajectories of a wide range of organisms - from bacteria to insects and amphibians. Despite this, there has been no attempt to distinguish ERPs clearly from other resource types, to identify their shared spatiotemporal characteristics, or to articulate their broad ecological and evolutionary influences on biotic communities. Here, we define ERPs as any distinct consumable resources which (i) are homogeneous (genetically, chemically, or structurally) relative to the surrounding matrix, (ii) host a discrete multitrophic community consisting of species that cannot replicate solely in any of the surrounding matrix, and (iii) cannot maintain a balance between depletion and renewal, which in turn, prevents multiple generations of consumers/users or reaching a community equilibrium. We outline the wide range of ERPs that fit these criteria, propose 12 spatiotemporal characteristics along which ERPs can vary, and synthesise a large body of literature that relates ERP dynamics to ecological and evolutionary theory. We draw this knowledge together and present a new unifying conceptual framework that incorporates how ERPs have shaped the adaptive trajectories of organisms, the structure of ecosystems, and how they can be integrated into biodiversity management and conservation. Future research should focus on how inter- and intra-resource variation occurs in nature - with a particular focus on resource × environment × genotype interactions. This will likely reveal novel adaptive strategies, aid the development of new eco-evolutionary theory, and greatly improve our understanding of the form and function of organisms and ecosystems.

Phylogenetic Analyses Support the Monophyly of the Genus Lispe Latreille (Diptera: Muscidae) with Insights into Intrageneric Relationships

Lispe Latreille (Diptera: Muscidae) are a widespread group of predatory flies that inhabit semi-aquatic environments. Previous studies on this genus have mainly focused on morphological classification, so molecular data are entirely lacking, and there has been no attempt at a phylogenetic placement of the genus or the resolution of intragenic relationships. To address the phylogenetic placement of Lispe and to fill its gap in the Tree of Life Web Project, 58 Lispe spp. (covering 11 out of 13 acknowledged Lispe species groups) were selected to reconstruct a phylogeny using Maximum likelihood (ML) estimates, Maximum Parsimony (MP) analyses, and Bayesian inference (BI) based on two mitochondrial protein-coding genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) and cytochrome b gene (CYTB)) and one nuclear gene (a fragment of the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase region of the CAD gene). The phylogenetic analyses indicated that the monophyletic Lispe is the sister group of the monophyletic Limnophora, together forming the tribe Limnophorini under the subfamily Coenosiinae. Three generic categories are proven obsolete: Chaetolispa Malloch, Lispacoenosia Snyder, and Xenolispa Malloch. Within the genus, the validity of 11 species groups is clarified by both molecular and morphological data. This study provides a sound basis for continuing intergeneric and intrageneric research into this fascinating and widespread genus.