Phortica Schiner, 1862: 433 (as genus); Máca, 2003: 251; Bächli et al., 2004: 70; Chen et al., 2005a: 3953. Type species: Drosophila variegata Fallén, 1823.
Phortica (as subgenus of Amiota Loew): Wheeler, 1952: 167; Okada, 1971: 96; Máca, 1977: 116.
Diagnosis. Ocellar tubercle with additional pair of setulae below ocellar setae; proclinate orbital seta nearer to inner vertical seta than to ptilinal fissure; palpus with hollow-shaped or depressed sense organ (modified from Chen et al. 2005a).
Characters commonly seen across the genus were described by Chen et al. (2005a), and therefore are not repeated here.