Pollination mutualism between Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae) and two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Sabah, Borneo

Two taxonomically undescribed Colocasiomyia species were discovered from inflorescences of Alocasia macrorrhizos in Kota Kinabalu City, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. The aims of this study were to investigate the reproductive ecology of the flies and the plant, ascertain the importance of the flies as pollinators and examine the intimate association between flowering events and life history of the flies. We conducted sampling, observations and field pollination experiments. The flies were attracted by the odour of female‐phase inflorescences in the early morning on the first day of anthesis. They fed, mated and oviposited in the inflorescences for 1 day. On the second day, the flies, covered with pollen grains, left the male‐phase inflorescences for the next female‐phase inflorescences. The immature forms of both fly species hatched, developed and pupated within the infructescences without damaging the fruits, and developed adults emerged when the mature infructescences dehisced. The flowering events and fly behaviours were well synchronized. In field pollination experiments, inflorescences bagged with a fine mesh (insect exclusion) produced almost no fruits, whereas those bagged with a coarse mesh (bee exclusion) produced as many fruits as the open‐pollinated controls. These results indicate that these flies are the most efficient and specialised pollinators for their host, A. macrorrhizos. These flies, in return, depend on A. macrorrhizos for food and habitat through most of their life cycle. This study provides a deeper insight into the less recognised, highly intimate pollination mutualism between Araceae plants and Colocasiomyia flies.     

Drosophila subpulchrella, a new species of the Drosophila suzukii species subgroup from Japan and China (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Drosophila (Sophophora) subpulchrella Takamori and Watabe, sp. nov., of the D. suzukii subgroup in the D. melanogaster species group, is described from Japan and southern China, and compared with its sibling species, D. pulchrella Tan et al. distributed in the Yun‐Gui Highland, south‐western China. The results of cross‐experiments show a complete pre‐mating isolation between D. subpulchrella and D. pulchrella.     

Genus Colocasiomyia (Drosophilidae: Diptera) in Sabah,Bornean Malaysia: High species diversity and use of host aroid inflorescences

A total of 21 Colocasiomyia species, including 17 undescribed species, are reported from Sabah (Mt. Kinabalu and neighboring areas), Malaysia, based on samples collected from inflorescences of 14 or 15 Araceae species. This number of species is the largest as a local fauna of this genus in the world. The high species diversity is attributed to 12 undescribed species belonging to the Colocasiomyia baechlii species group. A particular breeding habit of Colocasiomyia is sharing of the same inflorescence by a pair of species, with partial niche separation between them: one species uses exclusively the pistillate (lower female‐flower) section of the spadix for oviposition and larval development, whereas the other mostly uses the staminate (upper male‐flower) section. However, the baechlii group species show quite different patterns of host plant use: many (up to eight) species cohabit on the same inflorescence. It is unlikely that they separate their breeding niches micro‐allopatrically within an inflorescence. Instead, species composition and their proportions of individual numbers vary among different localities, seasons and host plants, with partial overlap among them. Such partial separations in local distribution, phenology and host selection would in combination contribute to their coexistence and promote the species diversity of this group.     

Colocasiomyia (Diptera: Drosophilidae) revised phylogenetically,with a new species group having peculiar lifecycles on monsteroid (Araceae) host plants

The phylogeny of Colocasiomyia (Drosophilidae) is analysed using data for 70 morphological characters, many of which are re‐evaluated from or added to those used previously, for an expanded taxon sample of 24 Colocasiomyia ingroup species. A special focus is put on three species, of which two have remained unresolved for their relationships to other Colocasiomyia species, and the other is a newly discovered species. The analysis results in a single, most parsimonious cladogram, in which a clade comprising the three focal species is recognized along with other clades recovered for the known species groups of Colocasiomyia. Based on this, a new species group—the gigantea group—is established, including Colocasiomyia gigantea (Okada), C. rhaphidophorae Gao & Toda, n.sp. and C. scindapsae Fartyal & Toda, n.sp. These species of the gigantea group breed on inflorescences/infructescences of the subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae) exceptionally among Colocasiomyia species, most of which use plants of the subfamily Aroideae as their hosts. Colocasiomyia gigantea uses Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engler, C. rhaphidophorae uses Rhaphidophora hookeri Schott and C. scindapsae uses Scindapsus coriaceus Engler as their hosts. The host plants of the gigantea group are epiphytes and differ in the structure of spadix and the fruiting process from those of the Aroideae. To understand how the species of the gigantea group adapt to properties of their host plants, their reproductive ecology—most intensively that of C. gigantea—is investigated. The lifecycle of C. gigantea is characterized by its relatively slow embryonic development (taking approximately 6 days), the very long duration of the full‐grown first instar within the egg capsule (approximately three months) until dehiscence of host infructescence, and its relatively fast larval and pupal development (taking approximately 11 or 12 days). Some morphological adaptations and the reproductive strategy in terms of ‘egg size vs. number’ trade‐off are discussed in relation to their reproductive habits and peculiar lifecycles.     

Taxonomy of the Colocasiomyia gigantea species group (Diptera,Drosophilidae), with descriptions of four new species from Yunnan,China

Species of the genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere feed/breed on inflorescences/infructescences of the plants from the families Araceae, Arecaceae and Magnoliaceae. Although most of them utilize plants from the subfamily Aroideae of Araceae, three species of the recently established C. gigantea species group make use of plants of the subfamily Monsteroideae. We describe four new species of the gigantea group found from Yunnan, China: Colocasiomyia longifilamentata Li & Gao, sp. n., C. longivalva Li & Gao, sp. n., C. hailini Li & Gao, sp. n., and C. yini Li & Gao, sp. n. The species delimitation is proved in virtue of not only morphology but also DNA barcodes, i.e., sequences of the partial mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene. Some nucleotide sites with fixed status in the alignment of the COI sequences (658 sites in length) are used as “pure” molecular diagnostic characters to delineate species in the gigantea group.     

云南省阳蝇属三新种（双翅目：蝇科）

报道了采自云南省蝇科阳蝇属Helina R.-D.三新种,即:裂毁阳蝇H．dehiscideleta sp. Nov.,滇西阳蝇H．dianxiia sp. Nov.和黄膝阳蝇H. flavigena sp. Nov. 。模式标本保存于沈阳师范学院昆虫研究所。     

棘蝇属一新种和一新纪录（双翅目：蝇科）

报告了采自四川省二郎山的棘蝇属(Phaonia Robineau　Desvoidy,1830)一新种和辽宁东部山区一新纪录种。新种命名为片尾棘蝇P.lamellicauda sp.nov.,应隶属于尖嘴棘蝇种团P.oxystomagroup,其种团特征是髭角位于额角之前;前中鬃强壮,后背中鬃3,小盾不带黄色,背侧片、前胸基腹片和后气门前肋裸;各足胫节、中股和后股黄色,中胫无后腹鬃,后胫无端位后腹鬃。模式标本保存于沈阳师范学院昆虫研究所。     

云南泉蝇属三新种（双翅目：花蝇科）

本文记述采自云南省泉蝇属3新种。1. 分布于云南省泸水片马的尖阳泉种蝇Pegomya acisophalla sp. Nov., 该种近似于四川产的黄前基泉蝇Pegomya flaviprecoxa Li et Deng, 1983, 但新种雄额宽于前单眼,侧颜等于触角宽,最长芒毛短于芒基粗;中足和后足基节黄色,后胫前背鬃3;第五腹板突立;阳茎端阳体和侧阳体等长,侧尾叶端部较宽大,表面有皱纹。2. 分布于云南泸水片马的环阳泉蝇Pegomya cricophalla sp. Nov., 该种近似毛笋泉蝇Pegomya phyllostachys Fan, 1964, 但新种雄尾器特殊,侧阳体呈环状,前阳基侧突单纯,后阳基侧突具小分支,第五腹板侧叶除基部具赘叶外,在端部具骨化的赘叶,其边缘具小齿。3. 分布于云南泸水片马的葫叶泉蝇Pegomy lageniforceps sp. Nov.,该种近似黄前基泉蝇Pegomya flaviprecoxa Li et Deng, 1983, 但新种雄性触角淡棕色,侧颜约等于触角宽,颊高为侧颜宽的2倍;小盾端部带褐色;翅脉淡棕色;中足后足基节黄色,中胫后鬃3,后股中部具2～3根后腹鬃,后胫前背鬃3;雄性尾器不同, 后阳基侧突前枝的端部为菱形,侧尾叶端部后面观略宽大,肛尾叶近葫形, 阳体的端阳体较短而细。模式标本保存于沈阳师范大学昆虫研究所。     

云南省阳蝇属三新种 （双翅目：蝇科）

 报道了采自云南省蝇科阳蝇属Helina R. D.三新种,即:裂毁阳蝇H． dehiscideleta sp. Nov.,滇西阳蝇H． dianxiia sp. Nov.和黄膝阳蝇H． flavigena sp. Nov. 。模式标本保存于沈阳师范学院昆虫研究所。     

Life history traits related to resource partitioning between synhospitalic species of Colocasiomyia (Diptera, Drosophilidae) breeding in inflorescences of Alocasia odora (Araceae)

Abstract.

• 1 Two closely related species of Colocasiomyia alocasiae (Okada) and C.xenalocasiae (Okada) (Diptera, Drosophilidae) breed in inflorescences of Alocasia odora C. Koch (Araceae), a hermaphroditic understorey clonal herb.
• 2 The two drosophilid species form a synhospitalic pair in Okinawa with alocasiae breeding in the upper half of the inflorescence and xenalocasiae breeding in the lower half.
• 3 C.alocasiae also has the following combination of life history traits: small body size, many eggs, and early reproductive maturity. In contrast, xenalocasiae can be described as having larger body size, fewer eggs, and delayed reproductive maturity.
• 4 Resource partitioning between the two species on the same host may be affected by these life history traits which are associated with their larval habitats.

     

Discovery of the Drosophila (Drosophila) robusta species group (Diptera,Drosophilidae) from Southeast Asian tropics,with the descriptions of six new species

Six new species of the Drosophila robusta species group are described from Southeast Asian Islands. Kalimantan and Sunda Islands lie east of Bali, from which Drosophila barobusta sp.nov and D. uncinata sp.nov belong to the lacertosa subgroup, and D. sungaicola sp.nov, D. baliensis sp.nov, D. hitam sp.nov and D. subaquatica sp.nov to the okadai subgroup. The robusta group from Southeast Asian tropics exclusively inhabits streamsides in mountainous highlands with an elevation of more than 600 m from the sea level.     

中国秽蝇属一新种 (双翅目：蝇科)

 记述了采自我国四川省的蝇科秽蝇属一新种,冯氏秽蝇Coenosia fengi sp.nov.。新种 具有触角较短、雄蝇阳基后突较弱、肛尾叶和侧尾叶细长等特征,应隶属白角秽蝇种团(C oenosia albicornis\|group)。新种近似于分布在俄罗斯西伯利亚地区的Coenosia ora lis Schnalb,1915,但新种雄蝇侧颜较窄,仅为触角宽的2/5,中胫前背鬃1,后股后腹鬃 仅分布于基部2/3,后胫具2根长的前腹鬃,肛尾叶侧面观较宽等即可区别。模式标本保存于 沈阳师范学院生物系。     

中国棘蝇属三新种记述 (双翅目：蝇科)

报道了采自中国四川地区的棘蝇属Phaonia Robineau Desvoidy,1830三新种：凹铗棘蝇Phaonia holcocerca Feng et Ma,sp.nov.,高巅棘蝇Phaonia supernapica Feng et Ma,sp.onv.,孟氏棘蝇Phaonia Mengi Feng,sp.nov.。后者系纪念我国已故著名昆虫学家孟庆华教授对医学昆虫学研究所作的贡献而命名。模式标本存于北京军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所。     

中国秽蝇属一新种(双翅目：蝇科)

记述了采自我国四川省的蝇科秽蝇属一新种,冯氏秽蝇Coenosia fengi sp.nov.。新种具有触角较短、雄蝇阳基后突较弱、肛尾叶和侧尾叶细长等特征,应隶属白角秽蝇种团(Coenosia albicornis-group)。新种近似于分布在俄罗斯西伯利亚地区的Coenosia oralis Schnalb,1915,但新种雄蝇侧颜较窄,仅为触角宽的2/5,中胫前背鬃1,后股后腹鬃仅分布于基部2/3,后胫具2根长的前腹鬃,肛尾叶侧面观较宽等即可区别。模式标本保存于沈阳师范学院生物系。     

中国妙蝇属五新种(双翅目:蝇科)

报道分布于中国蝇科妙蝇属（Myospila Rondani,1856）的5新种：百色妙蝇（M.boseica sp．nov．）;棕色妙蝇（M.brunnea sp.nov.）;黑股妙蝇（M.nigrifemura sp．nov．）;拟双色妙蝇（M.binoides sp．nov．）;天目妙蝇（M.tiamushanica sp．nov．）。模式标本存北京军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所医学昆虫标本馆。     

中国四川(束束)蝇属一新种团及四新种(双翅目:蝇科)

记述分布于中国四川的棘蝇属Phaonia R.-D.,1830 1新种团：曲股棘蝇种团Phaonia blaesomera group nov.及4新种：曲股棘蝇Phaonia blaesomera sp.nov.:类半月棘蝇Phaonia semilunaroida sp.nov.:黑肩棘蝇Phaonia nigeritegula sp.nov.;黄胫棘蝇Phaonia helvitibia sp.nov.模式标本存北京军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所医学昆虫标本馆。