Anchored hybrid enrichment is a form of next-generation sequencing that uses oligonucleotide probes to target conserved regions of the genome flanked by less conserved regions in order to acquire data useful for phylogenetic inference from a broad range of taxa. Once a probe kit is developed, anchored hybrid enrichment is superior to traditional PCR-based Sanger sequencing in terms of both the amount of genomic data that can be recovered and effective cost. Due to their incredibly diverse nature, importance as pollinators, and historical instability with regard to subfamilial and tribal classification, Syrphidae (flower flies or hoverflies) are an ideal candidate for anchored hybrid enrichment-based phylogenetics, especially since recent molecular phylogenies of the syrphids using only a few markers have resulted in highly unresolved topologies. Over 6200 syrphids are currently known and uncovering their phylogeny will help us to understand how these species have diversified, providing insight into an array of ecological processes, from the development of adult mimicry, the origin of adult migration, to pollination patterns and the evolution of larval resource utilization. We present the first use of anchored hybrid enrichment in insect phylogenetics on a dataset containing 30 flower fly species from across all four subfamilies and 11 tribes out of 15. To produce a phylogenetic hypothesis, 559 loci were sampled to produce a final dataset containing 217,702 sites. We recovered a well resolved topology with bootstrap support values that were almost universally >95 %. The subfamily Eristalinae is recovered as paraphyletic, with the strongest support for this hypothesis to date. The ant predators in the Microdontinae are sister to all other syrphids. Syrphinae and Pipizinae are monophyletic and sister to each other. Larval predation on soft-bodied hemipterans evolved only once in this family. Anchored hybrid enrichment was successful in producing a robustly supported phylogenetic hypothesis for the syrphids. Subfamilial reconstruction is concordant with recent phylogenetic hypotheses, but with much higher support values. With the newly designed probe kit this analysis could be rapidly expanded with further sampling, opening the door to more comprehensive analyses targeting problem areas in syrphid phylogenetics and ecology.

A new genus and species of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae: Syrphinae: Syrphini) are described from central Africa (Kenya & Uganda), Afrostoma quadripunctatum. A key to the Afrotropical genera of the subfamily Syrphinae is given. A review of the melanostomine [Bacchini] genera and subgenera is provided along with a key to them. Phylogenetic placement of Afrostoma is included based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data.

Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are one of the most species‐rich dipteran families and provide important ecosystem services such as pollination, biological control of pests, recycling of organic matter and redistributions of essential nutrients. Flower fly adults generally feed on pollen and nectar, but their larval feeding habits are strikingly diverse. In the present study, high‐throughput sequencing was used to capture and enrich phylogenetically and evolutionary informative exonic regions. With the help of the baitfisher software, we developed a new bait kit (SYRPHIDAE1.0) to target 1945 CDS regions belonging to 1312 orthologous genes. This new bait kit was successfully used to exon capture the targeted loci in 121 flower fly species across the different subfamilies of Syrphidae. We analysed different amino acid and nucleotide data sets (1302 loci and 154 loci) with maximum likelihood and multispecies coalescent models. Our analyses yielded highly supported similar topologies, although the degree of the SRH (global stationarity, reversibility and homogeneity) conditions varied greatly between amino acid and nucleotide data sets. The sisterhood of subfamilies Pipizinae and Syrphinae is supported in all our analyses, confirming a common origin of taxa feeding on soft‐bodied arthropods. Based on our results, we define Syrphini stat.rev. to include the genera Toxomerus and Paragus . Our divergence estimate analyses with beast inferred the origin of the Syrphidae in the Lower Cretaceous (125.5–98.5 Ma) and the diversification of predatory flower flies around the K–Pg boundary (70.61–54.4 Ma), coinciding with the rise and diversification of their prey.

The 75 Nearctic species of Platycheirus Lepeletier and Serville found north of Mexico are revised, including five species new to North America: Platycheirus alpigenus Barkalov and Nielsen, Platycheirus brunnifrons Nielsen, Platycheirus clausseni Nielsen, Platycheirus speighti Doczkal, Stuke & Goeldlin, and Platycheirus splendidus Rotheray. Platycheirus rufimaculatus Vockeroth, Melanostoma willistoni Goot, and Melanostoma concinnus Snow are recognized as junior synonyms of Platycheirus pictipes (Bigot). Melanostoma carinata Curran is recognized as a junior synonym of Platycheirus chilosia (Curran). Melanostoma atra Curran is recognized as a junior synonym of Platycheirus luteipennis (Curran). Platycheirus holarcticus Vockeroth is recognized as a junior synonym of Syrphus naso Walker. Platycheirus trichopus (Thomson) is resurrected and represents what was previously considered the western population of Platycheirus obscurus (Say). One new species, Platycheirus neoperpallidus Young sp. nov., is described. Females of 26 species are described for the first time, and an illustrated key to Nearctic Platycheirus is presented. DNA barcode data are presented for 60 Nearctic species and a COI gene tree of all available world Platycheirus species, as well as morphological and combined morphological/COI phylogenetic analyses of the Platycheirus albimanus species group are presented and discussed.

The study is based on two Baltic amber inclusions from the middle Eocene, studied by means of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Inner male genitalic features are partly visualised and the specimens described as Metanephrocerus groehni Kehlmaier & Skevington sp.n. and Metanephrocerus hoffeinsorum Kehlmaier & Skevington sp.n. Based on a phenetic comparison of the basic morphological composition of male terminalia on a subfamily level, Metanephrocerus Aczél, 1948 and Protonephrocerus Collin, 1931 are excluded from Nephrocerinae and placed into the new subfamily Protonephrocerinae Aczél, 1948 stat.n. An identification key to the named morphospecies of Metanephrocerus is provided.