Phylogeny of the Chinese Subgenera of the Genus Homoneura (Diptera, Lauxaniidae, Homoneurinae) Based on Morphological Characters

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The genus Homoneura is the most speciose genus of Lauxaniidae. However, no phylogenetic study of Homoneura has been published using morphological data, despite the high diversity and ecological significance. Therefore, we present the first morphological phylogeny of Homoneura. The monophyly of the genus Homoneura and the subgenus Homoneura is not supported. The monophyly of the subgenera Euhomoneura and Neohomoneura is supported, as well as the sister relationship between the subgenera Chaetohomoneura and Neohomoneura. These results provide a comprehensive framework and information toward future research of this genus. ABSTRACT: The genus Homoneura comprises over 700 described species in eight known subgenera distributed worldwide and has the highest species richness of Lauxaniidae. Five subgenera and more than 200 species have currently been recorded from China. Despite its high diversity, the monophyly of Homoneura and its subgenera, and the phylogenetic relationships among its subgenera remain to be investigated. One maximum-parsimony tree was generated based on 105 morphological characters scored from 24 species, representing all five subgenera of Homoneura recorded from China. The results did not support the monophyly of the genus Homoneura and subgenus Homoneura. The subgenus Chaetohomoneura is a sister to subgenus Neohomoneura. The monophyly of the subgenera Euhomoneura and Neohomoneura is supported. Much of the current classification of the genus Homoneura needs a revision before taxonomy can reflect natural groupings.