Drosophilidae, Rondani, 1856

McAlpine, David, 2011, Observations on Antennal Morphology in Diptera, with Particular Reference to the Articular Surfaces between Segments 2 and 3 in the Cyclorrhapha, Records of the Australian Museum 63 (2), pp. 113-166 : 140-141

The Drosophilidae

I have examined for this study the antenna of the following species: Leucophenga scutellata Malloch , Scaptomyza australis Malloch , Drosophila (Drosophila) immigrans Sturtevant , Drosophila (Sophophora) melanogaster Meigen , Tambourella endiandrae Wheeler. Grimaldi (1990) has given information and figures for some additional species. The true drosophilids (sensu Grimaldi, 1990) have many features in common with the Campichoetidae and Diastatidae , as discussed above, but are, to varying degrees, more apomorphic. All those studied by me have the conus short, asymmetrical, and undeveloped on the lateral side of the asymmetrically directed foramen.

In Leucophenga ( Fig. 79 ) segment 2 has no well defined cup, but the distal articular surface deepens much dorsolaterally so that the button is almost concealed. Segment 3 ( Fig. 82 ) has a basal stem, but this is broad where it joins the disc and less sharply defined than in the other genera. The moderately developed basal hollow opens on the broader part of the basal stem.

In Drosophila spp. and Tambourella the distal articular surface gives way much more abruptly to a deep, narrow cup into which the very short conus is sunken, but there is no raised collar ( Figs 80, 81 ). Usually segment 3 has the basal stem well defined and more or less attenuated ( Fig. 83 ). The basal hollow is generally present in some form, in contrast to the Curtonotidae , but may be contracted to a narrow caecum located on the basal stem. The arista is usually three-segmented.

Figures

Figures 79–83. Antennae of Drosophilidae. (79) Leucophenga scutellata Malloch, distal articular surface of seg. 2. (80) Drosophila immigrans Sturtevant, the same. (81) Tambourella endiandrae Wheeler, contents of pedicellar cup. (82) L. scutellata, left seg. 3, medial view. (83) T. endiandrae, the same. ar, annular ridge of seg. 3; bh, basal hollow; bs, basal stem; c, conus; d, disc of seg. 3; pc, pedicellar cleft; sbc, sub-basal caecum; sc, sacculus.