Phylogenomics of bee flies (Diptera, Bombyliidae)

This project is aiming to reconstruct the phylogeny and divergence times of bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) using anchored hybrid enrichment and transcriptomics data. The Bombyliidae (bee flies) is one of the most species-rich families in lower Brachycera (Diptera), comprising 15 subfamilies, over 250 genera and over 5,000 described species. Adult bee flies feed on nectar and pollen and are important pollinators, and their larvae are almost exclusively parasitoids, feeding on the immatures of a wide range of insect hosts.