The Phoridae is an extremely large group of small, poorly-known flies, some of which are pests of agriculture, and others of which have potential for biological control of pest insects. There are about 3,500 described species in this family, but actual totals for the world fauna are closer to 35,000, meaning that only about 10% of them have been described by scientists. These flies are among the most biologically diverse insects, with some being scavengers, herbivores, predators, and parasites. Some have become associated with ants and termites, and have bizarrely modified females that lack wings and have a beetle-like protective structure. There has been sharp disagreement about the classification of the most primitive groups of phorid flies, which has hampered the understanding of their relationships and diversity. The primitive phorids will be studied on a worldwide basis using body structure as well as DNA sequences by a team of a museum-based morphologist and a university-based molecular expert. Molecular characters will include about 4000 base pairs of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Field expeditions will be carried out in Europe, North America, South America, New Zealand, and southeast Asia to collect fresh specimens for analysis; additional specimens from Africa will be provided by collaborators. Additionally, we will revise the New World species of the largest genus of primitive phorids, Dohrniphora. This genus is currently known from 85 described species, but we will describe the approximately 100 further new species that exist, adding considerably to our knowledge of tropical insect biodiversity.
Phorid flies are a highly significant part of the world's biodiversity that has been barely addressed by scientists. Study of the morphology and genes of primitive phorids will allow us to understand how traits like parasitism or herbivory have arisen within this group, and perhaps in other insects as well. It will provide a robust framework for the classification of these flies that will foster better communication about their relationships. A firm understanding of the species of Dohrniphora will allow these small, easily collected insects to be used in conservation assessment in tropical rain forests, and will allow us to learn more about diversification of tropical insect faunas. Projects will include undergraduate students, who will gain valuable expertise in both field and laboratory work.
