TY - JOUR
T1 - Description of a new spotted-thorax drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) species and its evolutionary relationships inferred by a cladistic analysis of morphological traits
AU - Acurio, Andrea
AU - Rafael, Violeta
AU - Céspedes, Diego
AU - Ruiz, Alfredo
PY - 2013/11/1
Y1 - 2013/11/1
N2 - A phylogenetic approach based on morphological characters is the only alternative applicable in cases where molecular data are unavailable. During a taxonomic inventory of Drosophilidae in 12 localities of Ecuador (South America), we discovered a new species of cactophilic spotted-thorax Drosophila Fallen that here we formally describe as Drosophila machalilla Acurio 2013. To classify this new species, we analyzed the terminalia of male and female adults, finding similarities with flies of two neotropical spotted-thorax species groups of Drosophila, namely rep leta and peruensis. Flies or DNA sequence data are unavailable for the latter species group, hindering a molecular approach. Thus, to accurately classify the new species, we carried out a maximum parsimony cladistic analysis using 52 morphological characters from nine representative taxa of virilis, willistoni, repleta, and peruensis species groups. The results indicate that D. machalilla sp. nov. belongs neither to the repleta group nor to the peruensis group and suggest that a new species group should be erected to house D. machalilla and Drosophila atalaia Vilela & Sene (1982, previously considered a member of the peruensis species group). © 2013 Entomological Society of America.
AB - A phylogenetic approach based on morphological characters is the only alternative applicable in cases where molecular data are unavailable. During a taxonomic inventory of Drosophilidae in 12 localities of Ecuador (South America), we discovered a new species of cactophilic spotted-thorax Drosophila Fallen that here we formally describe as Drosophila machalilla Acurio 2013. To classify this new species, we analyzed the terminalia of male and female adults, finding similarities with flies of two neotropical spotted-thorax species groups of Drosophila, namely rep leta and peruensis. Flies or DNA sequence data are unavailable for the latter species group, hindering a molecular approach. Thus, to accurately classify the new species, we carried out a maximum parsimony cladistic analysis using 52 morphological characters from nine representative taxa of virilis, willistoni, repleta, and peruensis species groups. The results indicate that D. machalilla sp. nov. belongs neither to the repleta group nor to the peruensis group and suggest that a new species group should be erected to house D. machalilla and Drosophila atalaia Vilela & Sene (1982, previously considered a member of the peruensis species group). © 2013 Entomological Society of America.
KW - cladistic analysis
KW - Drosophila
KW - peruensis group
KW - repleta group
U2 - 10.1603/AN13028
DO - 10.1603/AN13028
M3 - Article
VL - 106
SP - 695
EP - 705
JO - Annals of the Entomological Society of America
JF - Annals of the Entomological Society of America
SN - 0013-8746
IS - 6
ER -