Unveiling the taxonomy of Neotropical Steganini (Diptera: Drosophilidae) using morphological and molecular approaches

• Grant number: 25/02616-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Einicker Lamas
• Grantee: Sávio Cunha Costa
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The family Drosophilidae has a worldwide distribution, with more than 4.000 species described in 74 genera and two subfamilies (Drosophilinae and Steganinae). There is a wealth of knowledge about some species of Drosophila (Drosophilinae), the result of a significant investment in biological models, particularly D. melanogaster. However, there are important gaps in the knowledge of the taxonomic diversity of the Drosophilidae family inhabiting the Neotropical region, especially with the Steganinae group, which accounts for approximately 20% of the family's species richness. This subfamily includes two tribes: Gitonini and Steganini. Steganini comprises two genera that occur in the Neotropical region (Stegana and Leucophenga), but comprehensive studies on their taxonomic diversity in this region are still lacking, despite a significant number of specimens deposited in major collections. This project proposes a taxonomic study of the tribe Steganini in the Neotropics. The general goals are to (1) review and update the geographic distribution of both genera, (2) describe new species based on morphological and molecular data (COI), and (3) elaborate an identification key for the genera and species occurring in the Neotropical region. The research will be supported by the holdings of the Brazilian collections and will include an internship abroad at the AMNH to compare the type material and to expand the taxonomic sampling of species that do not occur in Brazilian territory. The results of the project will help increase the reliability of identification of Steganini and expand knowledge of this subfamily in the Neotropical region.