Drosophila (Sophophora) rhopaloa Bock & Wheeler, 1972

Gompel, Nicolas & Kopp, Artyom, 2018, Drosophila (Sophophora) carrolli n. sp., a new species from Brunei, closely related to Drosophila (Sophophora) rhopaloa Bock & Wheeler, 1972 (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Zootaxa 4434 (3), pp. 502-510 : 508-509

Drosophila (Sophophora) rhopaloa Bock & Wheeler, 1972

( Figure 1C, D, F, H, J, L, N , Figure 2B, D, F, H , Figure 3B, D, F )

Drosophila rhopaloa Bock & Wheeler, 1972:69 ; Singh & Gupta, 1977: 35; Okada & Carson, 1983: 137

Drosophila (Sophophora) coonorensis Reddy & Krishnamurthy, 1973: 262

This species has been extensively described by others, and the present work illustrates many aspects of its morphology in comparison to D. carrolli n. sp. Therefore, we have chosen to not include a redescription here.

Material examined. D. rhopaloa line BaVi 067 and BaVi 5327 from Vietnam, Hanoi Ba Vì, near Vân Hòa [21°04′N, 105°22′E], March 2005, H. Takamori leg.

Previous records. Malaysia: Borneo, Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu ( Takada, Momma, & Shima, 1973). India: Meghalaya, Shillong ( Singh & Gupta, 1977); Madras, Nilgiri, Coonoor (type of D. coonorensis Reddy & Krishnamurthy, 1973 ). Thailand: Khao Yai [14°26’21.03”N 101°22’20.95”E], type locality. Papua New Guinea: Morobe Province, Mt Kaindi, Kunai Creek (1500 m.), 3.XI.1977 (H. Carson leg.) ( Okada & Carson, 1983). Okada & Carson describe these specimens from Papua New Guinea as “exceedingly” different from those of Java, being in particular darker. The identity of these specimens is therefore questionable, and they may be assigned to D. carrolli n. sp., or to another new taxon. Republic of Indonesia: Java, ( Okada & Carson, 1983). Vietnam:

Vietnam, Hanoi Ba Vì, near Vân Hòa [21°04′N, 105°22′E], IX.2004 (line BaVi5327) and III.2005 (line BaVi067) (H. Takamori leg.) ( Chen et al., 2014; Setoguchi et al., 2014).

Brake & Bächli (2008) also report D. rhopaloa from and Sri Lanka, without additional details.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult morphology and geographical range. (A–D) dorsal views of 5–7 day old adult Drosophila carrolli (A, male; B, female) and D. rhopaloa (C, male; D, female). (E, F) male abdomens of D. carrolli (E) and D. rhopaloa (F) in lateral (left) and ventral (right) views, showing variation in pigmentation intensity and testes color in mature specimens. Note the sharp lateral boundary of the darkly pigmented area on segment A5 and A6 in D. rhopaloa, but not D. carrolli (green arrows). Also note the bright yellow testes of D. carrolli, contrasting with the paler testes of D. rhopaloa (green arrowheads). (G, H) female abdomens of D. carrolli (G) and D. rhopaloa (H) in lateral views, showing variation in pigmentation intensity in mature specimens. (I, J) male wings of D. carrolli (I) and D. rhopaloa (J). Note the darker pigmentation at the anterior distal tip of of D. carrolli but not D. rhopaloa wings. (K, L) right antennae of males, showing no notable difference in the arista branching between D. carrolli (K) and D. rhopaloa (L), but a relatively shorter 3 rd antennal segment in D. rhopaloa (double arrows). (M, N) sex combs on the 1 st and 2 nd tarsal segments of forelegs in D. carrolli (M) and D. rhopaloa (N) showing no notable differences in teeth shape or pattern. Note that image on panel M is modified from Barmina & Kopp (2007). (O) Map of South East Asia showing localities where D. rhopaloa (white circles) and D. carrolli (red circle) were found. The circle with dotted outline denotes an imprecise locality.

FIGURE 2. Male terminalia. Dissected parts from D. carrolli (A, C, E, G) or D. rhopaloa (B, D, F, H). (A, B) epandrium in dorsal view. Note the differences in sensory bristle length and distribution (blue ovals and arrowheads) as well as genital comb size (blue arrows) between species. The epandrium is always darker overall in D. carrolli. Phallus in ventral view (C, D) and side view (E, F). The phallus conformation in D. carrolli (C, E) is similar to that of D. rhopaloa (D, F), but shows quantitative difference in size and appears sturdier. The looping of the aedeagus base is more open in D. carrolli than in D. rhopaloa (blue double-arrows). (G, H), testes of D. carrolli (G) and D. rhopaloa (H) have similar shapes and coiling, but they appear bigger in D. carrolli, and show a characteristic bright yellow color compared to the dull yellow testes of D. rhopaloa.

FIGURE 3. Female terminalia, eggs and pupae. (A, A’, B) last abdominal segments and spermatheca of D. carrolli (A, A’) or D. rhopaloa (B) females. Note the strongly sclerotized plates (blue arrowheads) at the end of the oviduct in D. carrolli (A, A’), but not D. rhopaloa (B). Also note the teeth (bristles) on the egg-guides are slightly more numerous and stouter in D. carrolli (blue arrows). The rear view of a D. carrolli female laying an egg (A’) shows the relative position of the sclerotized plates, the anal plates and the ovipositor. The spermathecae are marginally bigger and darker in age-matched D. carrolli compared to D. rhopaloa. (C, D) eggs of D. carrolli (C) and D. rhopaloa (D) in ventral view. Both species show characteristic spatula-shape respiratory appendages. These appendages vary in shape within species but show no notable difference between species. (E, F) pupae of D. carrolli (A) or D. rhopaloa (B) males about 24 hours before adult emergence. D. carrolli pupae are more rounded on their sides.