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General Summary
Drosophila sharpi (syn. D. attigua) is a rare species of fly, one of several species known as the Hawaiian picture-wing flies. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Kauai. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 2010.

This fly lives in wet forest habitat between about 3000 and 4000 feet in elevation on the island of Kauai. It is a microbivore that lives on decomposing plant material, likely from Cheirodendron and Tetraplasandra.

Description
The Hawaiian picture wing fly (D. sharpi) is a rare species that is hard to tell apart from a similar species, D. primaeva. The only way to distinguish between them is by chromosome arrangement, although they appear to have slightly different male genitalia. Male D. sharpi has a large, smooth reproductive organ whereas D. primaeva’s male reproductive organ is bristly on its tip. Due to their similarity, it is likely that the two species share the same breeding substrate and live in slightly different habitats. D. sharpi is a brown fly with yellow mouth parts, legs, yellow-brown antennae and a pair of yellow-brown wings. D. sharpi has a body length ranging from 4.6mm to 6.1mm.

Life History
There is not much information known about D. sharpi’s life history. Closely related species only breed on the bark of plants from the Araliaceae family. It is inferred that D. sharpi also only breeds on the bark of plants in this family.

Diet
Little is known about its diet, but it is thought to primarily eat decomposing plant and insect matter.

Behavior
It primarily breeds on rotting bark or fermenting sap. Crabronid wasps and adult and larval Lispocephala (diptera: Muscidae) are the most common predators of D. sharpi.

Habitat and Range
D. sharpi can be found wherever its host plant occurs, however, it mainly lives on the island of Kauai, Hawaii in the wet forest habitat between 3000-4000 feet in elevation.

Population Size
Population sizes for D. sharpi are difficult to estimate. D. sharpi is visually indistinguishable from the common Hawiian fly D. primaeva. Researchers must examine the arrangement of chromosomes to know which species they have found. This is not often done because it is time consuming. Without the ability to tell them apart it is impossible to accurately estimate population sizes for D. sharpi. The species is believed to be rare, but without accurate estimates it is impossible to tell.

Past and Current Geographical Distribution
Endemic to Hawaii, specifically the island of Kauai. It lives in wet forest habitat between 3000-4000 feet in elevation.

Major Threats
There is no current information regarding major threats to D. sharpi.

Listing Under the ESA
Listed as endangered for the first time in 1996 and most recently was again listed as endangered in 2010.

Five Year Review
Five year review first initiated in 2015 and a second one was initiated in 2020.

Species Status Assessment
There is no current species status assessment available.

Recovery Plan
There is currently no recovery plan available.