''Drosophila aglaia'' is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

species of fly from

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. This species is a member of the ''aglaia'' subgroup of the picture-wing clade of

Hawaiian Drosophilidae The Hawaiian Drosophilidae are a lineage of flies within the genus ''Drosophila.'' This monophyletic clade includes all of the endemic Hawaiian ''Drosophila'' and all members of the genus '' Scaptomyza'', which contains both Hawaiian and non-Hawa ...

. It is only found on the island of

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

, and has not been observed since 1997, when it was found in Palikea.

Description

''Drosophila aglaia'' was described in 1965 by D. Elmo Hardy from specimens collected by O. H. Sweezey from Kilauae in 1917, and by G. B. Mainland from Kaala in 1946. This fly is described as predominantly yellow with brown eyes, three brown stripes on the top of the thorax, and characteristic brown markings on the wings. The abdomen is also brown with two yellow spots. '' Drosophila kikiko'' from the island of

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

is described as nearly identical to ''D. aglaia''. While originally reported as breeding on the bark and stems of '' Urera glabra'', these records have since been attributed to the species '' Drosophila kinoole''. The actual host plant of ''D. aglaia'' is unknown.

Conservation

''Drosophila aglaia'' was listed as federally endangered in 2006 along with ten other species of picture-wing ''Drosophila''. Threats to the conservation of ''D. aglaia'' include loss-of-habitat, in part due to invasive pigs and goats, as well as introduced predators such as big-headed ants, yellow crazy ants, and yellowjacket wasps.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14588348

aglaia ''Aglaia'' is a genus of 117 species of woody dioecious trees belonging to the Mahogany family (Meliaceae). These trees occur in the subtropical and tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific. Some species are impo ...

Insects described in 1965