A Subgroup Structure for the Modified Mouthparts Species Group of Hawaiian Drosophila

Abstract

Here we present the first complete subgroup-level classification of the modified mouthparts group of Hawaiian Drosophila. Previously, only three small groups had been proposed, accounting for only a third of the known species in this large group. The modified mouthparts group, as now defined, consists of fourteen subgroups: adventitia (1 described species), bridwelli (9), ceratostoma (2), dissita (14), freycinetiae (5), fuscoamoeba (8), hirtitarsus (1), mimica (20), mitchelli (5), nanella (1), quadrisetae (4), scolostoma (3), semifuscata (5), and setiger (4). One species, D. tetraspilota, is unknown in the male and remains unplaced. At least 40 undescribed species from all except the mimica and scolostoma subgroups are present in collections. Three new synonymies are recognized in the current paper: Drosophila vicaria Hardy, 1965 n. syn. is a junior synonym of Drosophila amydrospilota Hardy 1965, Drosophila aethostoma Hardy and Kaneshiro, 1968 n. syn. is a junior synonym of Drosophila humeralis Grimshaw, 1901, and Drosophila odontostoma Kam and Perreira, 2003 n. syn. is a junior synonym of Drosophila chaetopeza Hardy, 1965.