The subgenus Sophophora of the genus Drosophila was first described by Alfred Sturtevant in 1939. It contains the best known drosophilid species, Drosophila melanogaster.

Phylogeny

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melanogaster species group (65 species, including D. melanogaster and D. simulans)
montium  species group (88)
ananassae   species group (24)
obscura species group (41)
saltans species group (21)
willistoni species group (23)
dentissima species group (17)
fima species group (23)
populi species group (2)
dispar species group (3)
The subgenus is paraphyletic because the genus Lordiphosa in also placed within this subgenus.