On the nature of evolutionary explanations: a critical appraisal of Walter Bock's approach with a new revised proposal.

Walter Bock was committed to developing a framework for evolutionary biology. Bock repeatedly discussed how evolutionary explanations should be considered within the realm of Hempel's deductive-nomological model of scientific explanations. Explanation in evolution would then consist of functional and evolutionary explanations, and within the latter, an explanation can be of nomological-deductive and historical narrative explanations. Thus, a complete evolutionary explanation should include, first, a deductive functional analysis, and then proceed through nomological and historical evolutionary explanations. However, I will argue that his views on the deductive proprieties of functional analysis and the deductive-nomological parts of evolution fail because of the nature of evolution, which contains a historical element that the logic of deduction and Hempel's converting law model do not compass. Conversely, Bock's historical approach gives a critical consideration of the historical narrative element of evolutionary explanation, which is fundamental to the methodology of the historical nature of evolutionary theory. Herein, I will expand and discuss a modern view of evolutionary explanations of traits that includes the currentacknowledgement of the differences between experimental and the historical sciences, including the token and type event dichotomy, that mutually illuminate each other in order to give us a well confirmed and coherent hypothesis for evolutionary explanations. Within this framework, I will argue that the duality of evolutionary explanations is related to two components of character evolution: origin, with its evolutionary pathways along with the history, and maintenance, the function (mainly a current function) for the character being selected.

Phylogenomic analysis of Tachinidae (Diptera: Calyptratae: Oestroidea): a transcriptomic approach to understanding the subfamily relationships.

Tachinidae is the second most species-rich family of Diptera. It comprises four subfamilies, and all of its members have parasitoid habits. We present the first phylogenomic analysis of Tachinidae using transcriptomic data, based on 30 species. We constructed four datasets: three using translated data at the amino acid level (100% coverage, with 106 single-copy protein-coding genes; 75% coverage, with 1359 genes; and 50% coverage, with 1942 genes). The trees were estimated by analysing four matrices using maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony inferences, and only minor differences were found among them. Overall, our topologies are well resolved, with high node support. Polleniidae is corroborated as a sister group to Tachinidae. Within Tachinidae, our results confirm the hypothesis (Phasiinae + Dexiinae) + (Tachininae + Exoristinae). Phasiinae, Dexiinae and Exoristinae are recovered as monophyletic, and Tachininae as polyphyletic. Once again, the tribe Myiophasiini (Tachininae) composes a fifth lineage, clade sister to all the remaining Tachinidae. The Neotropical tribe Iceliini, formerly in Tachininae, is recovered within Exoristinae, sister to Winthemiini. In general, our results are congruent with recent phylogenetic studies that include tachinids, with the important confirmation of the subfamilial relationships and the existence of a fifth lineage of Tachinidae.

Vertical stratification of insect abundance and species richness in an Amazonian tropical forest.

Tropical forests are among the most biodiverse biomes on the planet. Nevertheless, quantifying the abundance and species richness within megadiverse groups is a significant challenge. We designed a study to address this challenge by documenting the variability of the insect fauna across a vertical canopy gradient in a Central Amazonian tropical forest. Insects were sampled over two weeks using 6-m Gressitt-style Malaise traps set at five heights (0 m-32 m-8 m intervals) on a metal tower in a tropical forest north of Manaus, Brazil. The traps contained 37,778 specimens of 18 orders of insects. Using simulation approaches and nonparametric analyses, we interpreted the abundance and richness of insects along this gradient. Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera had their greatest abundance at the ground level, whereas Lepidoptera and Hemiptera were more abundant in the upper levels of the canopy. We identified species of 38 of the 56 families of Diptera, finding that 527 out of 856 species (61.6%) were not sampled at the ground level. Mycetophilidae, Tipulidae, and Phoridae were significantly more diverse and/or abundant at the ground level, while Tachinidae, Dolichopodidae, and Lauxaniidae were more diverse or abundant at upper levels. Our study suggests the need for a careful discussion of strategies of tropical forest conservation based on a much more complete understanding of the three-dimensional distribution of its insect diversity.

The Neotropical genus Eudexia Brauer amp; Bergenstamm, 1889 (Tachinidae: Dexiinae: Dexiini): lectotype fixation for the type species, synonymy, and a new species from Brazil.

Eudexia Brauer Bergenstamm, 1889, a Dexiini genus restricted to the Neotropical Region, is revised with proposal of the following new synonymies: Chaetocalirrhoe Townsend, 1935 = Eudexia, syn. nov. and Cordillerodexia Townsend, 1927 = Eudexia, syn. nov. As a result, the following new combinations are proposed: Eudexia brevicornis (Macquart, 1851), comb. nov., Eudexia colombiana (Townsend, 1929), comb. nov., Eudexia grandis (Townsend, 1935), comb. nov., and Eudexia orientalis (Townsend, 1927), comb. nov. Redescriptions, photographs and a lectotype designation are provided for the type species Eudexia formidabilis (Bigot, 1889). Diagnoses and photographs are provided for Eudexia colombiana, E. grandis, and E. orientalis, and a diagnosis is provided for E. brevicornis. A new species from Brazil, Eudexia lopesi sp. nov., is described. Finally, an updated diagnosis for the genus Eudexia and a key to the seven known species are given.

Taxonomic update of the Neotropical genus Cryptocladocera Bezzi, 1923 (Diptera: Tachinidae), with remarks on tachinids with fissicorn antennae.

Cryptocladocera Bezzi, 1923 is a Neotropical genus of Tachinidae with remarkable multifissicorn antennae, previously composed of four species. A new species from Brazil, Cryptocladocera arnaudi Santis Alvarez-Garcia sp. nov., is described, illustrated and photographed herein. Cryptocladocera bezzii Arnaud, 1963 and Cryptocladocera mojingensis Arnaud, 1963 are proposed as junior synonyms of Cryptocladocera prodigiosa Bezzi, 1923, synn. nov. With these changes, Cryptocladocera is left with 3 species: C. arnaudi, C. pichilinguensis Arnaud, 1963 and C. prodigiosa. An updated key to the males of Cryptocladocera species is provided. Furthermore, C. prodigiosa is recorded for the first time for French Guiana and Brazil. Finally, the diversity and evolution of fissicorn antennae in tachinids are discussed.

A new synonym for Zelia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera, Tachinidae), the genus Opsozelia Townsend, 1919, with the description of three new species.

The monotypic tachinid genus Opsozelia Townsend, 1919 (Diptera: Tachinidae) is synonymized with ZeliaRobineau-Desvoidy 1830, syn. nov. The single species of Opsozelia, O. discalis Townsend, 1919, is redescribed as Zelia discalis, comb. nov., based on examination of the holotype from Guyana and additional material from Suriname, Brazil and Paraguay. Three new species of Zelia similar to Z. discalis are described from Brazil: Z. magna sp. nov., Z. guimaraesi sp. nov. and Z. formosa sp. nov. These four species are treated informally as the Zelia discalis species group. An identification key to the species of this species group is provided based on male specimens. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the male terminalia of all species and for the female terminalia of one species, Z. guimaraesi.

A new genus and species of Sophiini Townsend, 1936 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Brazil, with an updated key to the genera of the tribe.

Sophiini is a New World tribe of Tachinidae composed, prior to this study, of 19 species in eight genera. Cryptosophia aurulenta gen. and sp. nov. from Amazonas, Brazil, is described and assigned to that tribe. The new genus can be easily distinguished from the other genera in the tribe, mainly by: head with occiput clearly swollen medially; thorax without a proepisternal seta; and meron with pale yellow setae almost indistinguishable from the yellow integument. It is most similar to members of the genera Neosophia Guimarães and Sophiella Guimarães. An updated and illustrated key to the genera of Sophiini is provided, including Cryptosophia gen. nov. Descriptions and illustrations of the female terminalia, spermatheca, and first instar larva are also provided for the new genus and species.