Snail-killing flies (Diptera, Sciomyzidae) phylogenomics: investigating their evolution and diversification

Abstract

Parasitoids feed inside or on another organism to complete their development, resulting in the host's death. Parasitoidy is present in different taxonomic groups, ranging from insects, and fungi, to nematomorphs. The unique ecological and evolutionary aspects of the parasitoid habit, as well as their specialized host associations, warrant a detailed investigation of the evolution of their feeding behaviors. Insects are the most diverse parasitoids, of which the majority are wasps (Hymenoptera) and flies (Diptera). Diptera is an excellent biological model for the study of parasitoids, mostly due to the multiple independent origins of parasitoidy within the group and the diverse behaviors and morphologies they exhibit. Snail-killing flies (family Sciomyzidae) are parasitoids of snails (Gastropoda) and may play an important role in the biological control of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis. This study aims to understand the evolution of parasitoidy and host associations in sciomyzids, in order to advance our knowledge of their evolutionary biology and natural history. This study is the first to use phylogenomics and macroevolutionary analysis in Sciomyzidae. This BEPE proposal is to be conducted under the supervisor of Dr. Jessica Gillung at Lyman Entomological Museum in the Department of Natural Resource Science (McGill University, Canada), where the genomic data of snail-killing flies will be generated. (AU)