Drosophila

Schwarzbäuchige fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster ), male

Drosophila is a genus of the family of fruit flies ( Drosophilidae ). The name " Drosophila " is a modern combination of the Greek δρόσος, drosos, " dew " φίλος with the word philos, " loving", and the female Latin ending -a.

The genus is facing a split, because it includes about 1500 species, but differ in part considerably in appearance, behavior and reproduction. Therefore, the genus was divided into many sub- genres. As genetic studies have shown some subgenera are with genres outside of the Drosophila group more closely related than most subgenera within this species complex.

The genus Drosophila is one of the Schwarzbäuchige fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster ), which is a common model organism in genetics the best known representative of the group. She is currently in the subgenus Sophophora that will be levied for a revision of the genus Drosophila group. The known Drosophila melanogaster is then hot Sophophora melanogaster. An application to the ICZN to maintain the common scientific name by declaration of Drosophila melanogaster to the type species was rejected in March 2010. The decision was announced after nearly three years of protracted discussions on April 1, 2010. The type species of the genus Drosophila funebris continues.

Subgenera (selection)

Because of their diversity, the genus Drosophila is divided into various sub- genres whose names are partly anagrams of the genus name, as Dorsilopha or Phloridosa. The largest subgenus is Sophophora with 332 species, including the well-known Drosophila ( Sophophora ) melanogaster.

• Dichaetophora
• Dorsilopha
• Drosophila
• Hirtodrosophila
• Liodrosophila
• Lordiphosa
• Melanogaster
• Mycodrosophila
• Paramycodrosophila
• Phloridosa
• Phorticella
• Polymorpha
• Psilodorha
• Samoaia
• Scaptomyza (~ 250 species )
• Sophophora (332 species)
• Siphlodora
• Zaprionus
• Zygothrica