Insects 2011, 2, 218-231; doi:10.3390/insects2020218 OPEN ACCESS insects ISSN 2075-4450 1 www.mdpi.com/journal/insects/ 2 Review 3 Phylogeography of the Cactophilic Drosophila and Other 4 Arthropods Associated with Cactus Necroses in the 5 Sonoran Desert 6 Edward Pfeiler 1 and Therese A. Markow 2,* 7 1 Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Unidad Guaymas, Apartado Postal 8 284, Guaymas, Sonora 85480, México; E-Mail:
[email protected] 9 2 Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA 10 * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; 11 Tel.: +1-858-246-0095; Fax: +1-858-534-7108. 12 Received: 19 March 2011; in revised form: 23 April 2011 / Accepted: 3 May 2011 / 13 Published: 5 May 2011 14 15 Abstract: Studies on the population genetics, phylogenetic relationships, systematics and 16 evolution of arthropods that inhabit necrotic tissue of cacti in the Sonoran Desert of North 17 America are reviewed. These studies have focused upon several species of insects (orders 18 Diptera and Coleoptera) and arachnids (order Pseudoscorpiones). For most taxa studied, 19 little genetic structure and high dispersal ability are found in populations inhabiting the 20 mainland and Baja California peninsula regions of the Sonoran Desert, consistent with the 21 availability of the rotting cactus microhabitat which is patchily distributed and ephemeral. 22 There is evidence, however, that the Gulf of California, which bisects the Sonoran Desert, 23 has played a role in limiting gene flow and promoting speciation in several taxa, including 24 histerid beetles, whereas other taxa, especially Drosophila nigrospiracula and D.