Species composition and heterogeneity of blowflies assemblages (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in urban–rural gradients at regional scale in Argentinean Patagonia

Abstract

This work is aimed at describing the spatial distribution of Calliphoridae species along urban-rural gradients in the southern Patagonian steppe, and the influence of geographical factors on species composition and relative abundance. Blowfly assemblages from 12 localities of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina between 1997 and 2007 were studied. Samples were assigned to three categories of sites (wild sites, mid-urbanized and urbanized) and four environmental variables were recorded. Three dominant species account for 98% of all specimens, the wild Compsomyiops fulvicrura, and two synanthropic species: Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. Additionally we tested the homogenization of urban calliphorid fauna by comparing the turnover of species among sites, but our findings showed similar heterogeneity of urban and non-urban assemblages.El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir la distribución espacial de las Calliphoridae presentes en gradientes urbano-rurales de la estepa Patagónica austral, y la influencia de factores geográficos sobre su composición y abundancia relativa. Se registró la composición de califóridos en 12 localidades de Santa Cruz y Tierra del Fuego, Argentina entre 1997 y 2007. Las muestras fueron asignadas a tres categorías de sitio (urbano, semi-urbano y no habitados) y se registraron cuatro variables ambientales. Tres especies dominantes acumularon el 98% del total capturado de especimenes, la asinantrópica Compsomyiops fulvicrura, y dos especies sinantrópicas: Lucilia sericata y Calliphora vicina. Adicionalmente se puso a prueba la homogenización de la fauna de callifóridos urbana, mediante la comparación del recambio de especies entre sitios, pero nuestros resultados indicaron una similar heterogeneidad de las comunidades urbanas y no urbanas.

Sarcosaprophagous Diptera assemblages in natural habitats in central Spain: spatial and seasonal changes in composition

“…Lucilia sericata and C. vicina have also been observed to demonstrate opposite phenologies in urban and rural habitats (Hwang & Turner, 2005;Patitucci et al, 2011). A similar seasonal pattern to that of C. vicina is observed in another calliphorid species, C. vomitoria, which, in fact, emerged as one of the dominant species in supramediterranean and oromediterranean habitats in spring (Table 5).…”

“…albiceps and L. sericata , the calliphorid C. vicina was one of the more representative species in the fly assemblages collected at the three bioclimatic levels during autumn, winter and spring (Tables 3–5) and consequently one of the dominant species in the three types of habitat (Table 1). Lucilia sericata and C. vicina have also been observed to demonstrate opposite phenologies in urban and rural habitats (Hwang & Turner, 2005; Patitucci et al , 2011). A similar seasonal pattern to that of C. vicina is observed in another calliphorid species, C. vomitoria , which, in fact, emerged as one of the dominant species in supramediterranean and oromediterranean habitats in spring (Table 5).…”

“…There is a wide variety of trap designs and methods for sampling sarcosaprophagous flies (e.g. Martínez‐Sánchez et al , 2000a; Hwang & Turner, 2005; Patitucci et al , 2011). In the present work, carrion‐baited traps were made by modifying an earlier design (Morón & Terrón, 1984), as described in Baz et al (2007).…”

“…Hwang & Turner, 2005) and has sometimes considered only flies in the family Calliphoridae (e.g. Patitucci et al , 2011). The species diversity of Diptera in natural, non‐urban habitats is significantly higher than in urban habitats (McKinney, 2008); hence, the study and identification of species assemblages associated with non‐urban habitats would seem necessary.…”

Diversity of Necrophagous Blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Medical and Veterinary Importance in Urban Environments in Córdoba (Argentina)

“…Both species were the indicators of site II as shown by the IndVal index. Still, due to their high abundance they can be characterized as urban, as proposed by Patitucci et al (2011). Sarconesia chlorogaster has an exclusively South American distribution, with records for Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Chile (Bonatto & Carvalho 1996).…”