Distribution of Drosophila serrata Malloch (Diptera : Drosophilidae) in Australia with particular reference to the southern border

The distribution of the fly Drosophila serrata Malloch in Australia was cha racterised in light of the increasing use of this species as an evolutionar y model system. A synthesis of previous collections suggested that D. serra ta was limited to the eastern and northern coastal areas, with a southern b order approximately 200 km north of Sydney and that this species utilised a wide range of resources as breeding sites. Additional collections suggeste d that the southern border changed seasonally, shifting some 270 km to Woll ongong in late summer and autumn. Simulations using CLIMEX implicate cold s tress in limiting the southern distribution.