a brief review of the genus stegana meigen, 1830 (diptera: drosophilidae) from india, with description of a new species and an updated identification key

This study presents a brief review of the genus stegana meigen (diptera: drosophilidae: steganinae) from india, emphasizing its diversity and ecological significance within the dipteran fauna. through detailed morphological examination, we describe here a new species, stegana (oxyphortica) minuta kandpal, sati & fartyal sp. nov., from ayarpatta, nainital, uttarakhand. the new species is described, and diagnostic characters are illustrated, along with a key to all six species of stegana known from india. the discovery of a new species further enriches knowledge of the region's insect fauna. based on a synthesis of existing records, india is estimated to harbor approximately 363 drosophilid species across 27 genera. this remarkable diversity reinforces the indian subcontinent's status as a crucial center for drosophilid biodiversity.