New Species of Fruit Flies

Fruit Flies Latest News

Entomologists recently identified two new species of fruit flies named Acidoxantha paratotoflava and Hemilea suneriae during a research expedition in the Himalayan foothills.

About Acidoxantha paratotoflava and Hemilea suneriae

• They are two new species of fruit flies.
• They were identified from the Solan region of Himachal Pradesh.
• Acidoxantha paratotoflava:
  • It is a medium-sized, greenish-yellow fly. 
  • It is distinguished from its closest relatives by having four distinct black stripes on its thorax and larger black spots on its abdomen. 
  • It has unique “hook-like” structures in the male’s anatomy. 
  • Its name, paratotoflava, was chosen because of its striking resemblance to another known fly, A. totoflava, which the researchers now believe may have been misidentified in India in the past.
• Hemilea suneriae:
  • It is a reddish-brown fly covered in prominent black dots.
  • It has a unique wing pattern, which features a single clear “window” (hyaline indentation) in an otherwise dark area, whereas its closest relatives usually have two. 

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Other Findings about Fruit Flies

• The study marked a major milestone by recording the genus Rhagoletis in India for the first time. 
  • This group of flies is known worldwide for affecting fruit crops, yet it had remained undetected in India until this investigation. 
• Additionally, the researchers finally solved a century-old mystery by capturing and describing the male of Euphranta nigripeda, a species where only the female had been known to science since 1913.

Source: RM