New morphological characters for classifying Phoridae (Diptera) from the structure of the thorax: Morphological characters for classifying Phoridae

Forty-six characters, mostly of the thoracic pleuron, are proposed for the reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships among the major groups of the family Phoridae. Analysis of these characters, in conjunction with the pre-existing suite of morphological characters from other body parts, provides a basis for a strongly supported new classification of the Phoridae, in which Sciadocerinae is the sister group of ((Chonocephalus Wandolleck & Cyphocephalus Borgmeier) + (Termitoxeniinae + (Metopininae + Phorinae s.l.))). A new subfamily, Chonocephalinae subfamily nov., is proposed for Chonocephalus and Cyphocephalus, and a new genus, Hirotophora gen. nov., is proposed for Chaetopleurophora multiseriata (Aldrich) (comb. nov.). © 2015 The Linnean Society of London