A new hematophagous Sycoracinae and an estimation of the evolutionary history of blood-feeding in Psychodidae (Diptera)

Abstract Background Hematophagy is known in two Psychodidae subfamilies: Phlebotominae and Sycoracinae. While Phlebotominae exploits a wide range of vertebrate hosts, Sycoracinae feeds primarily on amphibians. However, the evolution of blood-feeding within Psychodidae is poorly understood. Here, we describe Sycorax hylodiphila sp. nov. and estimate the evolutionary history of blood-feeding across Psychodidae. Methods Males and females of Sycorax hylodiphila sp nov. were collected in association with calling Hylodes phyllodes during daytime, some females with visible blood meals. Males and unengorged females were slide-mounted, legs were dissected for amplification of a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) fragment. Blood-fed females used for blood meal identification. Phylogenetic analyses used a concatenated dataset comprising COI , Peregrin and 18S sequences and 25 terminals. Bayesian inference was conducted in BEAST2, the resulting topology was used for estimation of ancestral state using ape and phytools packages in R environment. Results Sycorax hylodiphila sp nov. is morphologically similar to S. striga Rossito, Pinho & Andrade, and females show distinct adaptations consistent with hematophagy. Blood meal sequence matched human DNA; however, this result should be interpreted cautiously. Sycoracinae recovered as paraphyletic in relation to Horaiellinae, though with low support. Ancestral state estimation suggests a scenario with multiple origins of blood-feeding within Psychodidae. Conclusion Estimating hematophagy onto a phylogeny framework offers useful context for exploring the evolutionary history and diversification of blood-feeding. Hematophagy in Psychodidae likely evolved independently in Sycoracinae and Phlebotominae, however, we highlight the need for additional studies aimed at improving Psychodidae phylogeny as well as improving our morphological and behavioral knowledge about its species.