Mycodrosophila neoprojectans, Wheeler & Takada, 1963

Corrêa, Robson Crepes, Gottschalk, Marco Silva, Carvalho-Filho, Fernando Da Silva, Mendes, Mayara Ferreira & Valente, Vera Lúcia Da Silva, 2021, Two new species and a new species group of Mycodrosophila Oldenberg, 1914 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from the Amazon, Zootaxa 5052 (1), pp. 78-90 : 86-87

Mycodrosophila neoprojectans species group, new group

Species included and geographical distribution ( Fig. 37 ). Mycodrosophila neoprojectans Wheeler & Takada, 1963 : Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad, and Ecuador ( Wheeler & Takada 1963); Brazil (Amazon Biome; Santa-Brígida et al. 2019). Mycodrosophila pseudoprojectans Wheeler & Takada, 1963 : Nicaragua, Panama, and Colombia ( Wheeler & Takada 1963); Brazil (Amazon Biome; Santa-Brígida et al. 2019). Mycodrosophila hofmanni Junges, Gottschalk, Loreto & Robe, 2016 : Brazil (Amazon Biome; Junges et al. 2016). Mycodrosophila amazonica n. sp.: widely distributed in the northern region of Brazil (Amazon Biome). Mycodrosophila martinsae n. sp.: Brazil (Amazon Biome).

Diagnosis. Small flies; tergites II to IV (TII–TIV) largely black but at least partly light; dark spot below the 2nd C break extending to the vein M; dark spots at the apices of R 2+3 and R 4+5 absent (except M. amazonica n. sp. which was slightly darkened apically), ventral lobe of the epandrium tapering apically; phallus projected anteriorly in side view, with basiphallus narrower than distiphallus in lateral view (sense Grimaldi 1987).

Key to the species of the Mycodrosophila neoprojectans species group

1 Tergites V and VI mostly black, except for small light spots on lateral margins; wing tip with faint darking; basiphallus 2x narrower than distiphallus and about 1/2 of the phallus length................................... M. amazonica n. sp.

- Tergites V and/or II to VI with more or less large light area(s); wing tip without darking............................. 2

2 Tergite VI largely black; acrostichal setulae in 10 rows; basiphallus about 1.5x narrower than distiphallus and about 1/2 of the phallus length........................................................................ M. pseudoprojectans

- Tergite VI largely light; acrostichal setulae in 8 rows......................................................... 3

3 Tergite VI without a median dark spot; basiphallus 2x narrower than distiphallus and about 1/3 of the phallus length............................................................................................ M. martinsae n. sp.

- Tergite VI with median dark spot......................................................................... 4

4 Halter with dark knob and light base and stem; basiphallus about 1.5x narrower than distiphallus and about 1/2 of the phallus length; postgonite 2x longer than wider in lateral view.......................................... M. neoprojectans

- Halter fully dark; basiphallus about 1.5x narrower than distiphallus and about 1/3 of the phallus length; postgonite 3x longer than wider and backward curved in lateral view.................................................... M. hofmanni

Figures

FIGURE 37. Distribution map of the Mycodrosophila neoprojectans species group in the Neotropical Region.