The systematic position and phylogenetic relationships of Asiobaccha Violovitsh (Diptera, Syrphidae)

•The placement and phylogenetic relationships of Asiobaccha are explored.•Asiobaccha is not phylogenetically related to Baccha or Allobaccha.•Baccha is related to Platycheirus and other Bacchini genera.•Asiobaccha is resolved as sister group of Meliscaeva and Episyrphus.•Asiobaccha is considered as a valid genus based on molecular results and morphological characters.

The placement and phylogenetic relationships of Asiobaccha were explored using molecular evidence. The mitochondrial protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the nuclear 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA genes were analysed using parsimony, Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood. Two alignments approaches were used for rRNA genes: a multiple sequence alignment software, MAFFT, and their secondary structure. The present results do not place Asiobaccha close to Baccha or Allobaccha, which are placed in different evolutionary lineages, but close to Episyrphus and Meliscaeva. The relationship among these three genera is not fully resolved. Morphological characters are discussed and Asiobaccha stat. rev. is proposed as a valid genus.

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