Amiota floridiensis, Jones & Grimaldi, 2022

Jones, Lance E. & Grimaldi, David A., 2022, Revision Of The Nearctic Species Of The Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2022 (458), pp. 1-181 : 132-133

Amiota floridiensis , sp. nov.

Figures 69A–B , 72E , 76 , 95B

DIAGNOSIS: Small fly (ThL 1.11 mm), frons narrow, dull; arista with medium branches dorsally and ventrally; genitalia very distinctive: outer paraphysis with hornlike spine projecting dorsally; inner paraphysis armlike, projecting dorsolaterally, broadened at distal end into 5 pointed spines, the middle spine longer than the other 4; aedeagal apodeme faint and lightly sclerotized, long and rectangular, length almost 2.5× width, distal end narrower than midsection.

DESCRIPTION: Small fly (ThL 1.11 mm), thorax jet black [faded to rusty ochre in the holotype], legs light yellow. Frons slightly pollinose, dark brown, narrow. Cheek white. Palp yellow. Katepisternum lighter than rest of pleuron. Tergites 1 and 2 lightly colored. Arista: Medium, plumose; longest branch D2; A.R. 0.42; 5 long dorsal, 3 long ventral branches, none pointed mediad/laterad; arista trunk with short microtrichia, bare on apical half. Male genitalia: Epandrium wide ventrally, with 8–13 crowded long setae, 5–6 setae forming a single row leading to the apex, dorsal bridge of epandrium barely present. Cercus distinct from surrounding membrane. Surstylus with 9 prensisetae, apices blunt, all of roughly equal size; triangular lobe, pointed, arising on lateralmost area of surstylus, extending over prensisetae, with ca. 9 long setulae. Subepandrial sclerite forming a small scoop, extending ventrally just below epandrium, but not appendicular. Outer paraphysis laterally flattened, with heavily sclerotized hornlike spine arising at base, proximal tooth at midpoint; distal portion of outer paraphysis forming rounded lobe with ca. 7 sensilla. Inner paraphysis armlike, darkly sclerotized, sinuous in anterior view, dorsolaterally projecting, distally flattening to 5 pointed spines, the middle one longest. Aedeagal apodeme very distinctive: slender, lightly sclerotized, length 2.5× width, slightly bent in lateral view (not strongly arched); distal portion small, almost rectangular, narrower than midsection, not widely flared and without concave depression. Hypandrium simple, a squared U-shape, thickness consistent; lateral arms not thickened. Ejaculatory apodeme not studied. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 1, Am 174) FL/FW 0.86, EL/EW 1.52, EL/CW 15.25, FML/FMW 0.35, PR /RR 0.54, ThL 1.11 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: male: FLOR-IDA: Lake Hall 5 mi. N. Tallahassee, [30.521947, -84.258074], VI/12 - V/14 /50, T. C. Hsu and Stephens, 2007.16, Am 174, [specimen glued to paper point, dissected]. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History ( AMNH).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Known only from the holotype.

ETYMOLOGY: In reference to Florida ( United States), the state of the type locality.

DISTRIBUTION: This species is only known from the panhandle of Florida.

COMMENTS: Wheeler (1952) referred to this undescribed species as “ Amiota species C ” but refrained from describing it.

Figures

FIG. 69. Heads and lateral views, ungrouped species. A–B. A. floridiensis, sp. nov. (Am 174, holotype, lateral image flipped). C–D. A. humeralis Loew (Am 739). E–F. A. imperator, sp. nov. (Am 562, lateral image flipped).

FIG. 72. Aristae, ungrouped species. A. A. barretti (Johnson). B. A. buccata Wheeler. C. A. didens. D. A. humeralis Loew. E. A. floridiensis. F. A. imperator. G. A. laevifurca. H–I. A. sinaloensis. Not to the same scale.

FIG. 76. Male terminalia, A. floridiensis. A. Epandrium and cerci. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view of hypandrium, paraphyses, and subepandrial sclerite. D. Inner paraphysis. E. Aedeagal apodeme. F. Surstylus. (Am 174, holotype).

FIG. 95. Distribution maps, Ungrouped species. A. A. didens. B. A. floridiensis. C. A. humeralis Loew.