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 a ssociation with the endemic short-tailed bat, Myslacina tuberculata. Howeve r, the origins of Mystacinabia, and its systematic position within the Dipt era, have long been unclear. We have investigated the phylogenetic position of Mystacinobia using sequence data derived from a 511 bp region of the mi tochondrial 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 plac e Mystacinobia within the Oestroidea, most closely associated with the Call iphoridae.