Morphological analyses of some Palaearctic Stenopogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae) based on the spermatheca structure

Abstract

Females of some Stenopogon species were compared both systematically and phylogenetically utilizing spermatheca morphology The spermathecae of 8 species and 2 subspecies of Stenopogon (S. coracinus, S. elongatus S. flavibarbis, S. junceus, S. laevigatus, S. nigriventris, S. schisticolor, S. strateagus, S. sabaudus harpax, and S. xanthotrichus xanthomelas) were examined using a scanning electron microscope and subsequently analyzed with cluster analysis. Taxa of evaluated Stenopogon were found to be separated into 2 primary groups, A and B, based on the number of spirals and the diameter of the reservoir. Group A further separated into the sub-groups A1, A2, and A3, while group B separated into 2 sub-groups, B1 and B2. Species of both group A and group B were found to be monophyletic.