The male terminalia of seven American species of Drosophila (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

Abstract

The male terminalia of seven species of Drosophila endemic to the New World are described or redescribed and illustrated: one in the hydei subgroup (D. guayllabambae) and four in the mulleri subgroup (D. arizonae, D. navojoa, D. nigrodumosa, and D. sonorae) of the repleta group; one in the sticta group (D. sticta) and one so far unassigned to group (D. comosa). The D. guayllabambae terminalia redescription is based on a wild-caught fly. The redescriptions of the terminalia of the four species in the mulleri subgroup are based on strain specimens, while those of D. sticta and D. comosa terminalia are based on their holotypes. D. guayllabambae seems to be a strictly mountainous species of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes. D. nigrodumosa is apparently endemic to Venezuela, occurring in the Andes as well as at lower altitudes. The remaining five occurs only at lower altitudes of the American continent. The detailed line drawings depicted in this paper aim to help interested taxonomists to tell those species apart. Their precise identification is of great importance to the knowledge of the American biodiversity increasingly threatened by human activities.