Drosophilidae of Australia. V.* Remaining genera and synopsis (Insecta : Diptera)

Abstract

The Australian drosophilid fauna is reviewed; a synopsis of the 221 species (51 described as new in this paper) in provided. The species are referable to 31 genera (including four newly established) as follows: Acletoxenus von Frauenfeld (two species); Amiota Loew (three); Baeodrosophila Wheeler & Takada (two); Balara, gen. nov. (one); Cacoxenus Loew (one); Chymomyza Czerny (two); Collessia, gen. nov. (one); Crincosia, gen. nov. (two), Dettopsomyia Lamb (one); Drosophila Fallen (122), Eostegana Hendel (one), Gitona Meigen (one); Hypselothyrea de Meijere (two); Leucophenga Mik (21); Liodrosophila Duda (five); Lissocephala Malloch (one); Luzonimyia Malloch (one), Microdrosophila Malloch (seven); Mulgravea, gen, nov. (one), Mycodrosophila Oldenberg (21), Neotanygastrella Duda (one); Nesiodrosophila Wheeler & Takada (four); Paramycodrosophila Duda (four); Phorticella Duda (one); Scaptomyza Hardy (three), Sphaerogastrella Duda (one); Stegana Meigen (four), Styloptera Duda (two), Tambourella Wheeler (one); Zaprionus Coquillett (one); and Zygothrica Wiedemann (one). Keys to genera and species are provided. The following new synonymies are proposed: Gitonides convergens Malloch = Amiota fasciata (Kertesz); Liodrosophila australis Malloch = Lissocephala metallescens (de Meijere), and Drosophila rhipister Bock = Drosophila brunnea de Meijere. The drosophilid fauna of Australia is most closely related to that of southeast Asia and New Guinea and, with the probable exception of the few species in the genera Scaptomyza and Zygothrica, appears to have reached Australia via migrations from the north. The richest faunas in terms of both numbers of genera and numbers of species occur in the rainforests of north Queensland. The Drosophila subgenus Scaptodrosophila was probably the earliest Australian invader and is the largest single Australian group; it has undergone adaptive radiation in southern as well as northern Australia. Few other drosophiiid groups are represented in southernmost Australia and relationships with other Gondwanaland drosophilid faunas are absent.* Part lV, Aust. J. Zool., 1980, 28, 261–99.