Comparative Mitochondrial Genomes between the Genera Amiota and Phortica (Diptera: Drosophilidae) with Evolutionary Insights into D-Loop Sequence Variability.

To address the limited number of mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) in the subfamily Steganinae (Diptera: Drosophilidae), we assembled 12 complete mitogenomes for six representative species in the genus Amiota and six representative species in the genus Phortica. We performed a series of comparative and phylogenetic analyses for these 12 Steganinae mitogenomes, paying special attention to the commonalities and differences in the D-loop sequences. Primarily determined by the lengths of the D-loop regions, the sizes of the Amiota and Phortica mitogenomes ranged from 16,143-16,803 bp and 15,933-16,290 bp, respectively. Our results indicated that the sizes of genes and intergenic nucleotides (IGNs), codon usage and amino acid usage, compositional skewness levels, evolutionary rates of protein-coding genes (PCGs), and D-loop sequence variability all showed unambiguous genus-specific characteristics and provided novel insights into the evolutionary implications between and within Amiota and Phortica. Most of the consensus motifs were found downstream of the D-loop regions, and some of them showed distinct genus-specific patterns. In addition, the D-loop sequences were phylogenetically informative as the data sets of PCGs and/or rRNAs, especially within the genus Phortica.

Revision of the subgenus Stegana (Steganina) from China, with assessment of species delimitation using DNA barcodes (Diptera, Drosophilidae).

A total of 58 (eight known and 50 new) species of the subgenus Stegana (Steganina) from China were surveyed and (re)described: S. (S.) bacilla Chen & Aotsuka, 2004, S. (S.) belokobylskiji Sidorenko, 1997, S. (S.) hirticeps Wang, Gao, & Chen, 2013, S. (S.) izu Sidorenko, 1997, S. (S.) kanmiyai Okada & Sidorenko, 1992, S. (S.) masanoritodai Okada & Sidorenko, 1992, S. (S.) maymyo Sidorenko, 1997, stat. rev., S. (S.) nigripes Zhang & Chen, 2015, S. (S.) alafoliacea Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) baoxing Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) bibarbata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) bimai Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cinereipecta Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cardua Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cordhirsuta Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cornuta Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cucullata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cultella Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) curvitabulata Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) daiya Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) dendrophila Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) flabella Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) flavipes Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) formosa Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) fusca Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) fuscipes Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) glaucopalpula Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) haba Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) hirticlavata Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) iaspidea Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) idiasta Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) kanda Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) labao Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) lancang Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) latifoliacea Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) liusanjieae Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) magniflava Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) mailangang Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) marenubila Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) menghai Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) menglian Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) minutiflava Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) multiprocera Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nayun Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nigridentata Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nigripalpula Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) otphylla Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) radiciflava Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) rava Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) sciophila Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) septencolorata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) serrata Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) silvestrella Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) simola Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) yani Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) yixiang Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) zaduo Cui & Chen, sp. nov., and S. (S.) zhuoma Cui & Chen, sp. nov. We also provided a complete list of Chinese Steganina species together with their geographical distributions. In addition, the majority of currently available DNA barcode (partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene) sequences of this subgenus (435 sequences of 102 spp.) were employed in a molecular analysis for species delimitation. Taken together, morphology- and molecular-based species delimitation results reached a consensus for an overwhelming majority of these Steganina species (98 of 102 spp.).

Cryptic diversity in the subgenus Oxyphortica (Diptera, Drosophilidae, Stegana).

Phylogenetic relationships of the subgenus Oxyphortica were reconstructed based on two mitochondrial genes (COI and ND2). The results revealed the paraphyly of Oxyphortica and supported high levels of cryptic diversity within this subgenus. By integrating morphological characteristics and molecular evidence, we identified 17 new species as members of Oxyphortica: S. (O.) amphigya sp. nov., S. (O.) armillata sp. nov., S. (O.) ashima sp. nov., S. (O.) bawo sp. nov., S. (O.) crypta sp. nov., S. (O.) gelea sp. nov., S. (O.) hengduanmontana sp. nov., S. (O.) jinmingi sp. nov., S. (O.) mengbalanaxi sp. nov., S. (O.) mouig sp. nov., S. (O.) setipes sp. nov., S. (O.) shangrila sp. nov., S. (O.) tsauri sp. nov., S. (O.) valleculata sp. nov., S. (O.) wanhei sp. nov., S. (O.) yangjin sp. nov. and S. (O.) hypophaia sp. nov. To test the early morphological identifications and confirm the species boundaries, different species delimitation methods, including Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BP&P), were used, together with traditional distance. All species boundaries were clearly defined. As Oxyphortica species are mainly distributed across Southwest China (e.g., 20 spp. from the Hengduan Mountains), the complex climate and topographic landforms of the area may be responsible for the high levels of species diversity and endemism.

The genus Dettopsomyia Lamb, 1914 (Diptera, Drosophilidae) from southern China.

The genus Dettopsomyia was established by Lamb in 1914 for a single species, De.formosa described therein. It contains 13 known species recorded from the Old World (the Oriental, Australasian, Palearctic and Afrotropical regions). In the present paper, five new species discovered from southern China are described as members of Dettopsomyia: De.acutipenis Wang & Gao, sp. nov., De.serripenis Wang & Gao, sp. nov., De.discontinua Wang & Gao, sp. nov., De.camelonota Wang, Li & Gao, sp. nov. and De.paranigrovittata Wang, Li & Gao, sp. nov. The new species were delimitated, based on not only morphological characters but also molecular data.

The genus Leucophenga (Diptera, Drosophilidae), part VIII: twenty-one species from the Oriental region, with morphological and molecular evidence.

Twenty-one (six known and 15 new) species of the genus Leucophenga from the Oriental region are described or redescribed: L. jacobsoni Duda, 1926; L. kurahashii Okada, 1987; L. setipalpis Duda, 1923; L. sorii Kang, Lee Bhang, 1965; L. spinifera Okada, 1987; L. varinervis Duda, 1923; L. acantha Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. alafumosa Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. brevipenis Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. brevitabulata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. delta Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. forcipula Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. fuscipalpula Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. glabtabulata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. helvipecta Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. hyaloptera Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. oxyptera Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. platypyga Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. serrateiceps Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. valvata Huang Chen, sp. nov.; L. zebrina Huang Chen, sp. nov. A key and a morphological summary table to all these Leucophenga species are provided. Phylogenetic relationships among these 21 Leucophenga species, another 14 congeneric, known species from seven groups, and two representative outgroup taxa are reconstructed using 169 DNA sequences of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. In sum, 13 of the 21 Leucophenga species, which possess the only diagnostic character of the proxima species group (abdominal third tergite shortened, anteriorly discolored in males), are not monophyletic. Therefore, all the Leucophenga species described or redescribed in this study are temporarily classified as unplaced species (except for L. sorii, which has been assigned to the sorii species group) to avoid further confusion.