Australian endemic Drosophila III. The inornata species-group

Abstract

Amongst Australian non-baitable Dvosophila species, the inornata group of the subgenus Scaptodrosophila dominates in southern Australia. Distribution patterns correspond to the temperate zone flora so that, with one exception, the northerly limit of the group occurs in the southern Queensland upland forests. Amongst non-baitables only inornata-group species occur in south-west Western Australia and South Australia, while the species-group dominates in Victoria and Tasmania. In eastern Victoria and New South Wales other Scaptodrosophila species occur in increasing numbers towards the north, although the inornata group remains dominant. Two species occur exclusively in south-west Western Australia, while one desiccation-resistant species is common on both sides of the Nullabor. Distribution and speciation patterns are discussed in relation to past climates.