A macroevolutionary role for chromosomal fusion and fission in butterflies.

The impact of large-scale chromosomal rearrangements, such as fusions and fissions, on speciation is a long-standing conundrum. We assessed whether bursts of change in chromosome numbers resulting from chromosomal fusion or fission are related to increased speciation rates in , one of the most species-rich and karyotypically variable butterfly groups. We established a genome-based phylogeny and used state-dependent birth-death models to infer trajectories of karyotype evolution.

Checklist of hover flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) of the Republic of Georgia.

A checklist of the Syrphidae species of the Republic of Georgia is presented. New hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae) records from Georgia are provided as a result of field work conducted in 2018. At the same time, published syrphid records for the country are here reviewed and updated.