Drosophila sharpi, a large species of Hawaiian picture-wing fly, occurs in wet forest in the montane mesic and montane wet ecosystems at elevations generally between 3,000 and 3,936 ft (914 and 1,200 m), although the species was historically found as low as 2,460 ft (750 m). Drosophila sharpi is a relatively large drosophilid fly with males ranging between 4.6 to 5.0 millimeters (0.18 to 0.20 inch) and females between 4.9 and 6.1 millimeters (0.19 to 0.24 inch). The adult D. sharpi is essentially brownish-yellow in color with a brownish-red (rust-colored) thorax. The wings are hylaline (opaquely-glassy) and evenly tinged with yellow-brown coloration which darkens over the m-crossvein. The abdominal posterior features narrow brown to black posterior markings on the margins (Spieth 1980).