Drosophilidae

Drosophilidae
The Drosophilidae are a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes species called fruit flies, although they are more accurately referred to as vinegar or pomace flies. Another distantly related family of flies, Tephritidae, are true fruit flies because they are frugivorous, and include apple maggot flies and many pests. The best known species of the Drosophilidae is Drosophila melanogaster, within the genus Drosophila, also called the "fruit fly." Drosophila melanogaster is used extensively for studies concerning genetics, development, physiology, ecology and behaviour. Many fundamental biological mechanisms were discovered first in D. melanogaster. The fruit fly is mostly composed of post-mitotic cells, has a very short lifespan, and shows gradual aging. As in other species, temperature influences the life history of the animal. Several genes have been identified that can be manipulated to extend the lifespan of these insects. Additionally, Drosophila subobscura, also within the genus Drosophila, has been reputed as a model organism for evolutionary-biological studies, along with D. sechellia for the evolution of host specialization on the toxic noni fruit and Scaptomyza flava for the evolution of herbivory and specialist on toxic mustard leaves.
Economic significance
Generally, drosophilids are considered to be nuisance flies rather than pests, since most species breed in rotting material. Zaprionus indianus is unusual among Drosophilidae species in being a serious, primary pest of at least one commercial fruit, figs in Brazil. Another species, Drosophila suzukii, infests thin-skinned fruit such as raspberries and cherries and can be a serious agricultural pest. The leaf mining Scaptomyza flava, which is nested in the genus Drosophila phylogenetically, is an obligate leaf miner of mustard plants, including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and is a major pest of salad brassicas in New Zealand and an emerging pest of canola in the UK. Drosophila repleta larvae inhabit drains and spread bacteria. Fruit flies in general are considered as a common vector in propagating acetic acid bacteria in nature. This often ruins the alcohol fermentation process and can ruin beer or wine by turning it into vinegar. There are sinking traps available on the market for this nuisance, but one quick way to strongly limit the extent of it is to vacuum clean the flies both at rest and in their slow flight.
Identification
The diagnostic characteristics for Drosophilidae include the presence of an incomplete subcostal vein, two breaks in the costal vein, a small anal cell in the wing, convergent postocellar bristles; and usually three frontal bristles on each side of the head, one directed forward and the other two directed rearward. More extensive identification characteristics can be found in "Drosophila: A Guide to Species Identification and Use" by Therese A. Markow and Patrick O'Grady, (Academic Press, 2005) or "Drosophila: A Laboratory Handbook" by M. Ashburner, K. Golic, S. Hawley, (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2005).
Anti-parasitic behavior
Of their many defenses against parasites, when Drosophila melanogaster flies see female larval endoparasitoid wasps, they switch to laying their eggs in alcohol-laden food sources such as rotting fruit. Doing so protects the flies from becoming host to the larvae, as the wasps have a low alcohol tolerance. This oviposition behavior change only occurs upon seeing the female wasp larva and does not take place in the presence of the male wasp larva.
Mutualism
There is evidence to support that pathogens living within certain flies are beneficial to the behavior and survival of the host. One such example of this is in the fly Scaptomyza flava, which carries the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae in exchange for the pathogen damaging the anti-herbivore defenses of main food source for the fly, plants in the family Brassicaceae.
Phylogeny
The family contains more than 4,000 species classified under 75 genera. Recently, a comprehensive phylogenetic classification of the genera based on both molecular and morphological characters has been published.
Subfamily Drosophilinae Rondani, 1856:
Tribe Colocasiomyini Okada, 1989:
Genus Baeodrosophila Wheeler & Takada, 1964
Genus Balara Bock, 1982
Genus Chymomyza Czerny, 1903
Genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere, 1914
Genus Lissocephala Malloch, 1929
Genus Neotanygastrella Duda, 1925
Genus Phorticella Duda, 1924
Genus Scaptodrosophila Duda, 1923
Genus Protochymomyza Grimaldi, 1987
Tribe Drosophilini Okada, 1989:
Genus Arengomyia Yafuso & Toda, 2008
Genus Bialba Bock, 1989
Genus Calodrosophila Wheeler & Takada, 1964
Genus Celidosoma Hardy, 1965
Genus Collessia Bock, 1982
Genus Dettopsomyia Lamb, 1914
Genus Dichaetophora Duda, 1940
Genus Dicladochaeta Malloch, 1932
Genus Drosophila Fallén, 1823
Genus Hirtodrosophila Duda, 1923
Genus Hypselothyrea Okada, 1956
Genus Idiomyia Grimshaw, 1901 (Hawaiian Drosophila)
Genus Jeannelopsis Séguy, 1938
Genus Laccodrosophila Duda, 1927
Genus Liodrosophila Duda, 1922
Genus Lordiphosa Basden, 1961
Genus Microdrosophila Malloch, 1921
Genus Miomyia Grimaldi, 1987
Genus Mulgravea Bock, 1982
Genus Mycodrosophila Oldenberg, 1914
Genus Palmomyia Grimaldi, 2003
Genus Paraliodrosophila Duda, 1925
Genus Paramycodrosophila Duda, 1924
Genus Poliocephala Bock, 1989
Genus Samoaia Malloch, 1934
Genus Scaptomyza Hardy, 1849
Genus Sphaerogastrella Duda, 1922
Genus Styloptera Duda, 1924
Genus Tambourella Wheeler, 1957
Genus Zaprionus Coquillett, 1902
Genus Zaropunis Tsacas, 1990
Genus Zapriothrica Wheeler, 1956
Genus Zygothrica Wiedemann, 1830
Incertae sedis:
Genus Marquesia Malloch, 1932
Subfamily Steganinae Hendel, 1917:
Tribe Gitonini Grimaldi, 1990:
Genus Allopygaea Tsacas, 2000
Genus Acletoxenus Frauenfeld, 1868
Genus Amiota Loew, 1862
Genus Apenthecia Tsacas, 1983
Genus Apsiphortica Okada, 1971
Genus Cacoxenus Loew, 1858
Genus Crincosia Bock, 1982
Genus Electrophortica Hennig, 1965
Genus Erima Kertész, 1899
Genus Gitona Meigen, 1830
Genus Hyalistata Wheeler, 1960
Genus Luzonimyia Malloch, 1926
Genus Mayagueza Wheeler, 1960
Genus Paracacoxenus Hardy & Wheeler, 1960
Genus Paraleucophenga Hendel, 1914
Genus Paraphortica Duda, 1934
Genus Phortica Schiner, 1862
Genus Pseudiastata Coquillett, 1901
Genus Pseudocacoxenus Duda, 1925
Genus Rhinoleucophenga Hendel, 1917
Genus Soederbomia Hendel, 1938
Genus Trachyleucophenga Hendel, 1917
Tribe Steganini Okada, 1989:
Genus Eostegana Hendel, 1913
Genus Leucophenga Mik, 1866
Genus Pararhinoleucophenga Duda, 1924
Genus Parastegana Okada, 1971
Genus Pseudostegana Okada, 1978
Genus Stegana Meigen, 1830
Incertae sedis:
Genus Neorhinoleucophenga Duda, 1924
Genus Pyrgometopa Kertész, 1901
References
External links
Diptera.info photo gallery
Family Drosophilidae at EOL images
Brachycera families
Taxa named by Camillo Rondani