Amiota onyx 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 onyx

description: Amiota onyx, sp. nov.
Figures 35C–D, 37E, G, 38A, C-D, F, H 88B
DIAGNOSIS: Small to medium-sized fly (ThL 0.98–1.22 mm), medium brown, darker above grading lighter ventrally, legs yellow; white markings characteristic of genus present, spot under wing base slightly faded; outer paraphyses heavily sclerotized, symmetrical, short, forming stout, strongly curved claw, winglike basal projection, pointing laterally; inner paraphysis lost.
DESCRIPTION: Small to medium-sized fly (ThL 0.98–1.22 mm), medium brown body, fading ventrally; legs yellow. Characteristic markings of genus present, marking under wing base rather faint. Frons medium brown, darkening to black ventrally. Facial marking of moderate width (FML/FMW 0.26–0.29). Palp brown. Cheek yellowish. Tergites 1 and 2 lightly colored. Arista: Medium, plumose; longest branch D2; A.R. 0.32; 2 longer and 3 shorter dorsal, 3 short ventral branches; branches D3–5 pointed mediad, V1–3 pointed laterad; arista trunk with medium-length microtrichia nearly to apex. Male genitalia: Epandrium dorsally complete but with ventral margin in this area graded into membrane below; row of ~6 setae leading near posterior margin. Cercus long, pendulous, dorsally grading into membrane and epandrium; lateral margins of cercus discrete; cerci large, occupying virtually all space surrounded by epandrium. Surstylus with 11 prensisetae, apices blunt, evenly and densely spaced, comblike; middle region and ventral margin with setulae. Subepandrial sclerite pyramidal in posterior view, not projecting beyond epandrium. Outer paraphysis heavily sclerotized, short, forming stout hooked claw; base with small row of minute sensilla; distinctive low carina basal to sensilla; basal winglike projection, pointing laterally, the distal end with faint striations. Inner paraphysis lost. Aedeagal apodeme with all 4 margins constricted, bent nearly 90° in lateral view; basal margin slightly wider than distal end; distal end hardly expanded; marginal constrictions very shallow. Hypandrium thick, roughly square in terminal view; lateral arms very thick, bulging, with a prominent ostium. Ejaculatory apodeme 0.60× length of epandrium; stalk slightly sinuous. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 2; Am 1450, 1505) FL/FW 0.55 (0.55–0.56), EL/EW 1.31 (1.27–1.36), EL/CW 11.72 (11.20–12.25), FML/FMW 0.27 (0.26–0.29), PR /RR 0.49 (0.44– 0.55), ThL 1.10 (0.98–1.22 mm).
TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: male: MEXICO, Chis. [Chiapas] 20–25 mi. N Huixtla, [15.537566, -92.473191], 3000′, 4.VI.1969, B. V. Peterson, “ Amiota (Amiota) ” det. D. Grimaldi 1991, Am 1505, [glued directly to pin, dissected]. Deposited in the Canadian National Collection (CNC).
OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Mexico: Durango: 14 mi. SW. El Salto, 8000′, 1964-06-26, leg. J.F. McAlpine, attracted to man (Am 1450*, CNC).
ETYMOLOGY: Greek for “claw,” in reference to the paraphyses that in lateral view resemble a dark, curving claw.
DISTRIBUTION: Amiota onyx is known from Durango and Chiapas 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 77-78, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.458.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7400026