Drosophila deflecta

Malloch & McAtee, 1924

Drosophila deflecta is a fruit fly in the Drosophila quinaria species group, first described by Malloch & McAtee in 1924. The species is notable for its specialized larval : larvae function as scavengers on Nuphar water lilies. Unlike the well-studied relative Drosophila suzukii, D. deflecta has received limited research attention and is known from few observations.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Drosophila deflecta: //drəˈsɒfɪlə dɪˈflɛktə//

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Habitat

Aquatic or semi-aquatic environments associated with Nuphar water lilies.

Diet

Larvae are scavengers of Nuphar water lilies.

Host Associations

Nuphar - larval food sourceLarvae scavenge on water lily tissues

Similar Taxa

Drosophila suzukiiBoth are Drosophila fruit flies, but D. deflecta is distinguished by its aquatic larval and scavenging on water lilies, whereas D. suzukii is a terrestrial pest of ripening fruits with a serrated ovipositor for penetrating intact fruit skin.

More Details

Taxonomic status

Catalogue of Life lists Drosophila deflecta as a synonym, while GBIF accepts it as a valid . NCBI recognizes it without status annotation. This discrepancy suggests taxonomic revision may be needed.

Observation scarcity

iNaturalist records only 4 observations of this , indicating it is rarely encountered or underreported, possibly due to its specialized aquatic .