MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TERMINALIA MALES OF THE SPECIES DROSOPHILA SALTANS GROUP (DIPTERA, DROSOPHILIDAE)BY SCANNING ELETRONIC MICROSCOPY

• Grant number: 08/06284-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2009
• End date: December 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Lilian Madi Ravazzi
• Grantee: Tiago Alves Jorge de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Drosophila saltans group is the larger groups of Sophophora subgenus and consists of 21 criptical species. With base in morphologic characters he was subdivided in 5 subgroups: cordata, elliptica, parasaltans, saltans and sturtevanti. Evolutionary or genetics differentiation studies of the saltans group have been being based on morphologic analyses, chromossomical, biochemical, of the reproductive isolation, of the sequences comparison of structural genes and of transposons elements. The main and more complete work in the taxonomic and morphology area this group was accomplished by Magalhães (1962). The structures of terminalia masculine of this group are very complex and rich in details, getting sometimes difficult identify the species comparing the with the outlines introduced at work of Magalhães, because some terminalia of different species are very similar. Having in mind that the correct recognition of the species is essential for the accomplishment of the researches, at project present intend to realized an analysis detailed of the structures of terminalia masculine of 10 species included in the 5 subgroups of the saltans,group with the aim of contributing with a more informative photographic documentation and with morphologic details that help to identification them more easily .