Fergusonina

Genus of flies

Fergusonina
Outline
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Fergusoninidae
Genus: Fergusonina
Malloch, 1924[1]
Type species
Fergusonina microcera
Malloch, 1924

Fergusonina, the sole genus in the family of Fergusoninidae, are gall-forming flies. There are about 40 species in the genus, all of them producing galls on Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Corymbia, and Metrosideros[2] species (all in the family Myrtaceae) in Australia and New Zealand.

These flies are small and their larvae grow within galls formed on the leaf, shoot or flower buds.[3][4][5] The galls themselves are induced by endosymbiotic nematodes in the genus Fergusobia (family Neotylenchidae) which are obligate mutualists of the flies.[3] Females carry the nematode in their haemocoel, and transport them to host plants while laying their eggs.[3] Most of the fly species are specific to their tree hosts but a few use more than one species of host.[3][4][5]

The taxonomic placement of Fergusoninidae is disputed. While formerly in the superfamily Opomyzoidea, a 2020 study places it within superfamily Nerioidea based on morphology,[6] while a 2021 study using transcriptome data places it in a group along with Agromyzidae and other families[7]

  • A Fergusonina species
    A Fergusonina species

References

  1. ^ Malloch, John Russel (1924). "Notes on Australian Diptera. No. III". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 49 (3). The Linnean Society of New South Wales: 329–338.
  2. ^ Taylor, Gary; Davies, Kerrie; Martin, Nicholas; Crosby, Trevor (2007). "First record of Fergusonina (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) and associated Fergusobia (Tylenchida: Neotylenchidae) forming galls on Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) from New Zealand". Systematic Entomology. 32 (3): 548–557. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2007.00383.x. S2CID 84323543.
  3. ^ a b c d Nelson, Leigh A.; Davies, Kerrie A.; Scheffer, Sonja J.; Taylor, Gary S.; Purcell, Matthew F.; Giblin-Davis, Robin M.; Thornhill, Andrew H.; Yeates, David K. (2014). "An emerging example of tritrophic coevolution between flies (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) and nematodes (Nematoda: Neotylenchidae) on Myrtaceae host plants". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 111 (4): 699–718. doi:10.1111/bij.12237.
  4. ^ a b Taylor, Gary S. (2004). "Revision of Fergusonina Malloch gall flies (Diptera : Fergusoninidae) from Melaleuca (Myrtaceae)". Invertebrate Systematics. 18 (3): 251. doi:10.1071/IS02033.
  5. ^ a b Scheffer, S.J.; Davies, K.A.; Taylor, G.S.; Thornhill, A.H.; Lewis, M.L.; Winkler, I.S.; Yeates, D.K.; Purcell, M.F.; Makinson, J.; Giblin-Davis, R.M. (2017). "Phylogenetics of Australasian gall flies (Diptera: Fergusoninidae): Evolutionary patterns of host-shifting and gall morphology". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 115: 140–160. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.07.023. PMID 28757445.
  6. ^ Lonsdale, Owen (2020-02-17). "Family groups of Diopsoidea and Nerioidea (Diptera: Schizophora)—Definition, history and relationships". Zootaxa. 4735 (1): 1–177. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4735.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
  7. ^ Bayless, Keith M.; Trautwein, Michelle D.; Meusemann, Karen; Shin, Seunggwan; Petersen, Malte; Donath, Alexander; Podsiadlowski, Lars; Mayer, Christoph; Niehuis, Oliver; Peters, Ralph S.; Meier, Rudolf (2021-02-08). "Beyond Drosophila: resolving the rapid radiation of schizophoran flies with phylotranscriptomics". BMC Biology. 19 (1): 23. doi:10.1186/s12915-020-00944-8. ISSN 1741-7007. PMC 7871583. PMID 33557827.

Further reading

  • Purcell, Michaela Fay Elizabeth. 2017. Phylogeny and host relationships of the Australian gall-inducing fly Fergusonina Malloch (Diptera: Fergusoninidae). Australian National University. PhD thesis.
  • Head, Elise. 2008. Ecology of the Fergusonina fly and Fergusobia nematode gall association in South Australia. University of Adelaide. MSc thesis.
  • v
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Extant Diptera families
Suborder Nematocera
Axymyiomorpha
Culicomorpha
Culicoidea
  • Dixidae (meniscus midges)
  • Corethrellidae (frog-biting midges)
  • Chaoboridae (phantom midges)
  • Culicidae (mosquitoes)
Chironomoidea
  • Thaumaleidae (solitary midges)
  • Simuliidae (black flies)
  • Ceratopogonidae (biting midges)
  • Chironomidae (non-biting midges)
Blephariceromorpha
  • Blephariceridae (net-winged midges)
  • Deuterophlebiidae (mountain midges)
  • Nymphomyiidae
Bibionomorpha
Bibionoidea
  • Bibionidae (march flies, lovebugs)
Anisopodoidea
  • Anisopodidae (wood gnats)
Sciaroidea
(fungus gnats)
Perissommatomorpha
Psychodomorpha
Scatopsoidea
Psychodoidea
  • Psychodidae (moth flies)
Ptychopteromorpha
  • Ptychopteridae (phantom crane flies)
  • Tanyderidae (primitive crane flies)
Tipulomorpha
Trichoceroidea
  • Trichoceridae (winter crane flies)
Tipuloidea
(crane flies)
  • Cylindrotomidae (long-bodied crane flies)
  • Limoniidae (limoniid crane flies)
  • Pediciidae (hairy-eyed craneflies)
  • Tipulidae (large crane flies)
Suborder Brachycera
Asilomorpha
Asiloidea
Empidoidea
Nemestrinoidea
  • Acroceridae (small-headed flies)
  • Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies)
Muscomorpha
Aschiza
Platypezoidea
  • Ironomyiidae (ironic flies)
  • Lonchopteridae (spear-winged flies)
  • Opetiidae (flat-footed flies)
  • Phoridae (scuttle flies, coffin flies, humpbacked flies)
  • Platypezidae (flat-footed flies)
Syrphoidea
  • Pipunculidae (big-headed flies)
  • Syrphidae (hoverflies)
Schizophora
Acalyptratae
Conopoidea
  • Conopidae (thick-headed flies)
Tephritoidea
  • Pallopteridae (flutter flies)
  • Piophilidae (cheese flies)
  • Platystomatidae (signal flies)
  • Pyrgotidae
  • Richardiidae
  • Tephritidae (peacock flies)
  • Ulidiidae (picture-winged flies)
Nerioidea
  • Cypselosomatidae
  • Micropezidae (stilt-legged flies)
  • Neriidae (cactus flies, banana stalk flies)
Diopsoidea
Sciomyzoidea
Sphaeroceroidea
Lauxanioidea
Opomyzoidea
Ephydroidea
  • Camillidae
  • Curtonotidae (quasimodo flies)
  • Diastatidae (bog flies)
  • Drosophilidae (vinegar and fruit flies)
  • Ephydridae (shore flies)
  • Mormotomyiidae (frightful hairy fly)
Carnoidea
Lonchaeoidea
Calyptratae
Muscoidea
  • Anthomyiidae (cabbage flies)
  • Fanniidae (little house flies)
  • Muscidae (house flies, stable flies)
  • Scathophagidae (dung flies)
Oestroidea
Hippoboscoidea
  • Glossinidae (tsetse flies)
  • Hippoboscidae (louse flies)
  • Nycteribiidae (bat flies)
  • Streblidae (bat flies)
Stratiomyomorpha
Stratiomyoidea
  • Pantophthalmidae (timber flies)
  • Stratiomyidae (soldier flies)
  • Xylomyidae (wood soldier flies)
Tabanomorpha
Rhagionoidea
Tabanoidea
Vermileonomorpha
Vermileonoidea
Xylophagomorpha
Xylophagoidea
  • Xylophagidae (awl flies)
Taxon identifiers
Fergusonina
Fergusoninidae