The ''Drosophila testacea''

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

belongs to the Immigrans-tripunctata radiation of the subgenus

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species ...

, and contains 4 species: '' Drosophila putrida'', ''

Drosophila neotestacea ''Drosophila neotestacea'' is a member of the ''testacea'' species group of ''Drosophila''. Testacea species are specialist fruit flies that breed on the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. These flies will choose to breed on psychoactive mushrooms s ...

'', ''

Drosophila testacea ''Drosophila testacea'' is a member of the ''testacea'' species group of ''Drosophila''. Testacea species are specialist fruit flies that breed on the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. ''Drosophila testacea'' can be found in temperate regions of Eu ...

'', and '' Drosophila orientacea''.Grimaldi, James, and Jaenike. 1992. Systematics and Modes of Reproductive Isolation in the Holarctic Drosophila testacea Species Group (Diptera: Drosophilidae). https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/85/6/671/2759036 Testacea species are specialist mushroom-feeding flies, and can metabolize toxic compounds in ''

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities result ...

'' mushrooms. The Testacea species group is studied for its specialist ecology, population genetics, and bacterial endosymbionts. The North American species ''

'' is perhaps the best-studied of the group for its interactions with parasitic wasps and nematodes, bacterial endosymbionts, and trypanosomatid parasites. Of note, selfish X chromosomes (a form of

meiotic drive Meiotic drive is a type of intragenomic conflict, whereby one or more loci within a genome will effect a manipulation of the meiotic process in such a way as to favor the transmission of one or more alleles over another, regardless of its phenotyp ...

) have been discovered in three of the four Testacea group species. Testacea species are commonly found in association with members of the Drosophila Quinaria species group due to their shared mushroom-feeding life history.

Systematics

The species '' D. testacea'' and '' D. neotestacea'' of the Testacea species group can be identified based on the presence or absence of an upward turn on the presutural seta of the mesonotum (anterior dorsal thorax). The Testacea species group is a phylogenetically concise lineage consisting of 4 species. The closest outgroup of Testacea species is the Drosophila bizonata species group.

Gallery

File: Dneo f1.tif , A '' D. neotestacea'' female File: Dneo f3.tif , A '' D. neotestacea'' female on the gills of a mushroom File: Dneo f2.tif , A '' D. neotestacea'' female on the gills of a mushroom File: Dtestacea male 2-3.tif , A '' D. testacea'' male File: Dtestacea male 2-5.tif , A '' D. testacea'' male on the gills of a mushroom File: Dtestacea male 2-2.tif , A '' D. testacea'' male on the gills of a mushroom

Systematics

Gallery

References

Further reading