''Drosophila musaphilia'' 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 ...

, in the species rich lineage 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

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 ...

. The last reported sighting of this species was in 1988.

Description

''Drosophila musaphilia'' was described in 1965 by D. Elmo Hardy. The species name is in reference to the fact that this species, like many other picture-wing ''Drosophila'', is strongly attracted to the smell of rotting banana. This species is a member of the ''hawaiiensis'' subgroup in the picture-wing clade. ''D. musaphilia'' flies are mostly black, with gray hairs along the thorax. The wing markings are similar to other closely related species in the subgroup, with a stripe of spots along the center and apex of the wing. ''D. musaphilia'' females have the second longest

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

recorded from species of Hawaiian ''Drosophila'', second to '' D. orphnopeza,'' with both species measuring at >1 millimeter. Rearing records for this species indicate that it breeds in rotting sap, known as a slime flux, from the koa tree (''

Acacia koa ''Acacia koa'' or commonly known as koa is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu. Name The name ...

'').

Conservation

''Drosophila musaphilia'' was listed as federally endangered in 2006 along with ten other species of picture-wing ''Drosophila''. Threats to the conservation of ''D. musaphilia'' include loss-of-habitat, in part due to invasive pigs, goats, and invasive plant species, such as strawberry guava (''

Psidium cattleyanum ''Psidium cattleyanum (World Plants : Psidium cattleianum)'', commonly known as Cattley guava, strawberry guava or cherry guava, is a small tree (2–6 m tall) in the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family. The species is named in honour of English hor ...

''). In addition, breeding habitat (''

'') is threatened by browsing from non-native

black-tailed deer Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus''). They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all r ...

. Invasive plants such as ''

Psidium cattleianum ''Psidium cattleyanum (World Plants : Psidium cattleianum)'', commonly known as Cattley guava, strawberry guava or cherry guava, is a small tree (2–6 m tall) in the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family. The species is named in honour of English hor ...

'', ''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...

'', ''

Melinis minutiflora ''Melinis minutiflora'', commonly known as molasses grass, is a species of grass. It is a perennial grass native to Africa, where it occurs in disjunct populations (an arc from central Angola to Cameroon in western central africa, the areas arou ...

'', and ''

Rubus argutus ''Rubus argutus'' is a North American species of prickly bramble in the rose family. It is a perennial plant native to the eastern and south-central United States. Common names are sawtooth blackberry or tall blackberry after its high growth. ...

'' threaten the conservation of ''D. musaphilia'' and other members of the native Hawaiian ecosystem. These plants can overwhelm native species and outcompete them for access to light. In addition, flammable grass species such as ''Melinis minutiflora'' contribute to rapidly spreading forest fires. These threats are especially relevant to the conservation of ''D. musaphilia'', as the breeding substrate for this species is thought to be inherently rare.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14587818 musaphilia Insects described in 1965 Endangered insects ESA endangered species Insects of Hawaii