We present a comparative investigation of both male and female terminalia of the Neotropical genera of Rhagionidae (Diptera, Brachycera, Tabanomorpha). Based on Brachyceran bauplan, homology hypotheses between the terminalia parts were analyzed in a comparative context. The results suggest that the conditions observed in Rhagionidae are in general very modified when compared to the common ancestor of Brachycera. Herein we show a heuristic phylogenetic hypothesis which may serve as a basis for the understanding of the great morphological diversification of the male and female genitalia of rhagionids, pointing to a solution to some controversies about the morphology of the reproductive structures in the group.
Brachycera; Diptera; Morphology; Neotropical; Rhagionidae; Terminalia
