Two new species of Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) Baranov (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), parasitoids of Littoraria filosa (Sowerby) (Gastropoda: Littorinidae)

Abstract

We provide descriptions of two species of sarcophagid flies seen attacking the intertidal snail Littoraria filosa (Sowerby 1832), which occurs on leaves and branches of mangroves in central Queensland, Australia. This is the first description of sarcophagid parasitoids of a marine snail. Sarcophaga megafilosia sp. n. and Sarcophaga meiofilosia sp. n. belong to the subgenus Sarcorohdendorfia Baranov 1938 and both are parasitoids of L. filosa. These two parasitoids cause considerable mortality of L. filosa, which is an annual in large patches of mangroves (where both flies are present), but a perennial in smaller, more isolated patches (where the larger fly is usually absent).

Utility of COI, CAD and morphological data for resolving relationships within the genus Sarcophaga (sensu lato) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): A preliminary study

“…Two Sarcorohdendorfia species, megafilosia and meiofilosia are supposedly closely related given their similar biologies: both species are parasitoids of the marine snail Littoraria filosa Pape et al, 2000). This was supported by these species being robustly resolved together in the Bayesian, ML and MP analyses (Figure 2).…”

Flies that attack polymorphic snails on coloured backgrounds: selection for crypsis by a sarcophagid parasitoid of Littoraria filosa

“…All dead snails, except those left on the trees as described above to examine movement and shell retention, were also measured and taken to the laboratory where flies were reared from them using methods given by McKillup et al . (2000) for identification according to Pape et al . (2000).…”

“…The shell lengths of live snails were measured to the nearest mm. All dead snails, except those left on the trees as described above to examine movement and shell retention, were also measured and taken to the laboratory where flies were reared from them using methods given by for identification according to Pape et al (2000). Since this sampling found selection for crypsis among snails 10 mm or longer (see Results), we investigated whether snails showed preference for a matching background by sampling populations on four stands of relatively isolated trees where S. megafilosia was not found by .…”

“…While studying the life history and metapopulation structure of L. filosa on the Central Queensland coast (McKillup & McKillup, 2000) we found that this snail was attacked and killed by two parasitoid flies, Sarcophaga megafilosia McKillup, McKillup & Pape and Sarcophaga meiofilosia McKillup, McKillup & Pape (McKillup, McKillup & Pape, 2000; Pape, McKillup & McKillup, 2000). Larviposition behaviour by both species was similar, except that S. megafilosia only attacked snails with shells ≥ 10 mm long, while S. meiofilosia only attacked those from 4 to <10 mm long.…”

Comprehensive evaluation of DNA barcoding for the molecular species identification of forensically important Australian Sarcophagidae (Diptera)

“…Specimens of S. megafilosia and S. meiofilosia had an interspecific variation of 2.81%. It is known that both of these species are parasitoids of the marine snail Littoraria filosa, where S. megafilosia only parasitises snails with shell lengths 10 mm and S. meiofilosia parasitises snails with shells 4-10 mm long (Pape et al 2000). Given the similar biology, restricted Queensland distribution and the short branch lengths linking these flesh fly species, the lower-than-expected interspecific variation between them suggests that they have only recently diverged or are not separate species.…”