Phylogenomics and the evolution of larval feeding habits in the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Blow flies are found worldwide and have diverse larval feeding habits, including scavenging, dung-feeding, and parasitism, making them important for medical, veterinary, and ecological studies. This study uses Anchored Hybrid Enrichment to analyze the evolutionary history of blow flies and the evolution of larval feeding habits in the group, revealing that saprophagy evolved multiple times from parasitic ancestors and that vertebrate parasitism arose from different feeding strategies.