Family DROSOPHILIDAE

 

 

Drosophilidae are one of the largest of the families of acalypterate Diptera [more than 4,000 described species in more than 70 genera (Pape et al., 2011)] and are found worldwide. Members of the family are attracted to a variety of fermenting substances and can be found in very specialized habitats including slime fluxes, decaying leaves, rotting cacti, fungi, flower heads, the sap of bleeding tree wounds, and even on submerged aquatic substrates.

 

The fossil record is substantial for the higher acalypterate flies (13 described species in 8 genera). Most fossil species have been described from Tertiary amber sources; however, Statz (1940) described two species of "Drosophila" from compression fossils of the Oligocene Braunkohle deposits in Rott, Germany.

Ref.: Grimaldi (1987, key to amber taxa).

 

 

Genus CHYMOMYZA Czerny

 

*CHYMOMYZA Czerny, 1903: 199. Type species: Drosophila fuscimana Zetterstedt, 1838, by subsequent designation of Sturtevant (1921: 61).

primaeva Grimaldi, 1987: 3. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].

 

 

Genus DROSOPHILA Fallén

 

*DROSOPHILA Fallén, 1823: 4. Type species: Musca funebris Fabricius, 1787, by subsequent designation of Zetterstedt (1847: 2542).

 

Subgenus DROSOPHILA Fallén

 

poinari Grimaldi, 1987: 7. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].


succini Grimaldi, 1987: 5. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].

 

Subgenus HIRTODROSOPHILA Duda

 

*HIRTODROSOPHILA Duda, 1923: 41 (as genus) [1924: 180] (as Drosophila subgenus). Type species: Drosophila carinata Duda, 1923 [preoccupied, = Drosophila latifrontata Frota-Pessoa, 1945], by subsequent designation of Frota-Pessoa (1945: 471).

paleothoracis Grimaldi, 1987: 9. NT: Dominican Republic (Oligocene/Miocene) [A].

 

Unplaced to Subgenus of DROSOPHILA Fallén

 

berryi Cockerell, 1923: 332. NT: Colombia (?Pleistocene/Holocene) [K].


blanda Statz, 1940: 152. PA: Germany (Oligocene) [C].


elegans Statz, 1940: 152. PA: Germany (Oligocene) [C].

 

 

Genus ELECTROPHORTICA Hennig

 

ELECTROPHORTICA Hennig, 1965: 202. Type species: Electrophortica succini Hennig, 1965, by monotypy.

succini Hennig, 1965: 202. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene) [A].

 

 

Genus HYALISTATA Wheeler

 

HYALISTATA Wheeler, 1960: 67 (as Pseudiastata Coquillett subgenus). Type species: Pseudiastata pictiventris Wheeler, 1960, by original designation.

vitrea Grimaldi, 1993b: 14. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].

 

 

Genus MIOMYIA Grimaldi

 

MIOMYIA Grimaldi, 1987: 10. Type species: Miomyia io Grimaldi, 1987, by original designation.

io Grimaldi, 1987: 12. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].

 

 

Genus NEOTANYGASTRELLA Duda

 

*NEOTANYGASTRELLA Duda, 1925: 206 (as Drosophila subgenus). Type species: Drosophila tricoloripes Duda, 1925, by monotypy.

wheeleri Grimaldi, 1987: 14. NT: Mexico (Miocene) [A].

 

 

Genus PROTOCHYMOMYZA Grimaldi

 

PROTOCHYMOMYZA Grimaldi, 1987: 15. Type species: Protochymomyza miocena Grimaldi, 1987, by original designation.

miocena Grimaldi, 1987: 15. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].

 

 

Genus SCAPTOMYZA Hardy

 

*SCAPTOMYZA Hardy, 1850: 361. Type species: Drosophila graminum Fallén, 1823, by subsequent designation of Coquillett (1910: 603).

dominicana Grimaldi, 1987: 16. NT: Dominican Republic (Miocene) [A].