Annual and spatial activity of dung flies and carrion in a Mediterranean holm‐oak pasture ecosystem

Abstract

The annual activity and spatial distribution of Muscidae and Calliphoridae were investigated in a holm-oak ('dehesa') ecosystem in western Spain over two years in pasture and woodland habitats, using wind-orientated traps baited with a mixture of fresh cattle faeces, liver and sodium sulphide solution. Lucilia sericata (Meigen) was always the dominant species and, with Chrysomya albiceps (Weidemann), Hydrotaea ignava (Harris), Muscina levida (Harris) and Muscina prolapsa (Harris), was more abundant during the second than the first year. By contrast, Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, Calliphora vomitoria (L.), Hydrotaea armipes (Fallén), Hydrotaea penicillata (Rondani) and Hydrotaea dentipes (Fabricius) were more numerous during the first than the second year of the study. In summer, the Diptera sampled were significantly more abundant in a wooded than a pasture area. However, in autumn, while H. penicillata remained significantly more abundant in woodland, L. sericata became more abundant in the pasture, whereas C. vicina was captured in open and wooded areas in similar proportions. During winter and spring the populations sampled were relatively small. The changing patterns of abundance are discussed in relation to differences in climate within and between years.

Seasonal population dynamics in Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…Over two years, in pasture and woodlands habitats, Lucilia sericata Meigen was always the dominant species over the summer, followed by C. albiceps (Martinez-Sánchez et al 2000). In Brazil, L. eximia is a blowfl y species apparently capable of maintaining a more stable population size than other calliphorids, in spite of seasonal changes (Moura et al 1997).…”

The distribution of adult blow-flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) along an altitudinal gradient in Central Spain

“…Th e topics involved in this research programme include succession of insects on decaying corpses, developmental rates of Dipterans larvae as well as ecological studies such as habitat associations of carrion insect's assemblages or the distributions of necrophagous insects along environmental gradients which is the subject of this paper. Although a number of studies on the structure of carrion and dung fl ies assemblages in Northern Europe and North America have been undertaken (Kuusela & Hanski 1982, Kuusela 1983, Kneidel 1984, Hanski 1987, Ives 1991 few have considered Mediterranean ecosystems (Mártinez-Sánchez et al 2000). In this paper, therefore, the altitudinal preferences and the degree of association among species of blow-fl ies along a Mediterranean mountain are documented.…”

Records of Chrysomya albiceps in Northern Italy: an ecological and forensic perspective

“…Larvae develop in animal carrion, human cadavers and in faeces and they can cause primary and secondary cutaneous myiasis in mammals (Zumpt 1965, Marchenko 1985, Smith 1986, Hall & Smith 1993, Hall & Wall 1995, Paraluppi & Linhares 1995, Queiroz et al 1997, Soler 2000, Adham et al 2001, Madeira 2001, Grassberger et al 2003. Adults of both sexes feed on faeces, carrion and rotting fruit (Martinez-Sanchez et al 2000).…”