Amiota forceps Jones & Grimaldi 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jones, Lance E.
name: Grimaldi, David A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Drosophilidae
Amiota
Amiota forceps

description: Amiota forceps, sp. nov.
Figures 34E–F, 37C; 39A, N–P, S; 87C
DIAGNOSIS: Small fly (ThL 1.15 mm), dark blackish brown; frons slightly shiny ventrally, with a bluish pruinescence, dark dorsally; white spots characteristic of genus present; similar to species in a complex including A. uniacuminis and A. biacuminis (defined under A. biacuminis), but differing from those species by the following: outer paraphysis with upper and lower lobes of equal length (vs. upper one longer), upper lobe slender, pointed, lower lobe flared at apex, truncate; hypandrium nearly square, apex notched, with small rounded, median lobe; prensisetae long, very slender, and densely packed, 14 prensisetae present (vs. 12 much shorter ones in A. uniacuminis and 7 stout ones in A. biacuminis).
DESCRIPTION: Small fly (ThL 1.15 mm), dark blackish brown, fading ventrally, including katepisternum; legs light yellow. Characteristic markings typical of genus present. Frons slightly shiny; dorsal portion almost black; ventral portion below with slight bluish pruinescence. Cheek relatively deep (EL/CW 10.66), yellowish. Palp yellow. Tergites 1 and 2 lightly colored. Arista: Medium, plumose; longest branch D1; A.R. 0.32; 5 dorsal branches grading to shortest apically, 3–4 very short ventral branches; no branches pointed significantly mediad laterad; arista trunk with medium-length microtrichia, bare on apical third. Male genitalia: Epandrium dorsally complete, ventral margin near this area grading into membrane below; lateral portions with numerous setae of medium length along most of length; ventral margin with small, medial emargination. Cercus with margins distinct, overall shape subcircular, with large membranous region dorsal to cercus. Surstylus oval shaped, with scattered setulae around midregion; 14 prensisetae, long, slender, apices blunt, closely packed. Subepandrial sclerite well developed, laterally slightly compressed; subepandrial appendage triangular middle portion slightly constricted, apex dull point. Outer paraphysis with 2 lobes of equal length in lateral view: upper lobe linear, straight, pointed; lower lobe thicker, truncate, with 2 small terminal points. Inner paraphysis lost. Aedeagal apodeme with very similar proportions to A. biacuminis and A. uniacuminis. Hypandrium roughly square inner margin more sclerotized; apex notched on inner margin; opposite this a small, flat, faintly wrinkled lobe. Ejaculatory apodeme not studied. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 1, Am 1452) FL/FW 0.49, EL/EW 1.39, EL/CW 10.66, FML/FMW 0.22, PR /RR 0.40, ThL 1.15 mm.
TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: male: 14 mi. SW. El Salto, Dgo. [Durango] MEX., [23.786449, -105.597725], 8000′, June “26” 1964, J.F. McAlpine, attracted to man, Am 1452, [glued directly to pin, dissected]. Deposited in the Canadian National Collection (CNC).
OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Known only from the holotype.
ETYMOLOGY: From forceps, Latin for “pincers,” in reference to the paraphyses of the male genitalia in lateral view. Used as a noun in apposition.
DISTRIBUTION: Amiota forceps is currently known from Durango State in Mexico.
COMMENTS: This species exhibits the characteristic behavior of attraction to the eyes and face common to many Amiota.
description: Published as part of Jones, Lance E. & Grimaldi, David A., 2022, Revision Of The Nearctic Species Of The Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), pp. 1-181 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2022 (458) on pages 73-74, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.458.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7400026