Previous research include phylogeny of the family Syrphidae and of the tribe Rhingiini, using both morphological and molecular characters in a combined analysis. Analyses used several character sets and were run using a paralellized version of the optimisation alignment program POY using multiple processors on a Unix computer at CSC (Centre for Scientific Computing, Espoo, Finland). Presently funded by the Finnish Ministry of Environment for project “Diptera Cyclorrhapha Aschiza: molecular systematics and faunal survey”, concentrating on poorly known groups of Syrphidae (hoverflies), the family Platypezidae (flatfooted flies), and the family Pipunculidae (big-headed flies). The hoverflies are one of the most well-known groups of two-winged insects (Diptera), but despite long-time taxonomic research using morphological characteristics multiple unresolved taxonomical species level questions remain. The natural history and distribution of most flat-footed flies and big-headed flies in Finland remains incomplete, and efforts to gather more biological information for these groups of flies will be done through collecting and taxonomic research.

My current projects include analysis of molecular variation within and among closely related species of Palaearctic or Holarctic hoverfly genera of the subfamilies Syrphinae and Eristalinae. Most target genera or species groups have been suggested by taxonomists to contain morphologically cryptic species, and molecular data could bring in valuable information for elucidating these questions. Gene regions evolving fast enough to contain variation even between closely related species include mitochondrial genes (e.g. cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI), nuclear spacer regions (Internal Transcribe Spacer 2, ITS2) and intron regions. The advent of molecular systematics has revolutionized the study of divergence among and within closely related species. Morphological characters generally do not evolve rapidly enough to track very recent divergences, but molecular markers are able to uncover phylogenetically useful variation even in the absence of sufficient phenotypic variation. Molecular markers at the species level have been used to delineate species limits, to document cryptic lineages, and to determine the geographic origins of invasive or non-native species. It is important that molecular data is collected from at least two unlinked sources (mitochondrial vs. nuclear), and that it is confirmed with other characters, morphological and/or ecological.

It is expected that this research will bring information for resolving species boundaries and establishing the existence of previously unrecognized species in Finland as well as defining new taxa. All research is performed in cooperation with numerous colleagues specialized in taxonomy of particular dipteran groups, from Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Serbia & Montenegro, Russia, Spain and UK) and USA, and all results will dues to expensive sampling have broader impacts. Ability to recognize and delimit distinct species or local populations is important for biodiversity assessment projects. Target genera include particular species groups within Baccha, Cheilosia, Dasysyrphus, Melanostoma and Microdon. Molecular data collected for species delimitation will be combined with other gene regions and morphological characters for phylogenetic studies of particular genera of saproxylic hoverfly groups (Brachyopa, Xylotini).

Xylotini sp.