Summary

Drosophila kikkawai is a member of the melanogaster species group (montium subgroup) within the Sophophora subgenus.

Drosophila kikkawai is a semi-cosmopolitan species recorded in West Africa, South America, Madagascar, India, Asia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific Islands. In Australia it is has only been found in urban habitats in Queensland such as composts and backyards. It has possibly only recently been introduced to Australia.

Drosophila kikkawai has been used as a model to address questions related to climate adaptation, life-history evolution and systematics.

The genome of this species is in the process of being sequenced as part of the "Adaptation to climate change research project", which is funded by a Science & Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) Research grant.

Related entries

Publication Citations

• Schiffer, Michele, and McEvey, Shane F., 'Drosophila bunnanda - a new species from northern Australia with notes on other Australian members of the montium subgroup (Diptera: Drosophilidae)', Zootaxa, no. 1333, 2006, pp. 1-23. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01333p023f.pdf. Details