The phylogenetic position of the New Zealand batfly, Mystacinobia zelandica (Mystacinobiidae; Oestroidea) inferred from mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA sequence data

The New Zealand batfly, Mystacinobia zelandica, is unique in its phoretic association with the endemic short‐tailed bat, Mystacina tuberculata However, the origins of Mystacinobia, and its systematic position within the Diptera, have long been unclear We have investigated the phylogenetic position of Mystacinobia using sequence data derived from a 51 lbp region of the mitochondnal 16S rDNA gene A total of 17 taxa, representing 11 families and 14 genera within the Diptera, were included in the phylogenetic analysis The resulting phylogenetic trees support morphological revisions which place Mystacinobia within the Oestroidea, most closely associated with the Calhphondae.