New record of Blepharicnema splendens (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Luciliini) and range expansion in Caquetá, Colombia

Abstract

Blepharicnema splendens is a dipteran with occurrence restricted to the Neotropical Andean mountain forests from 1,400 to 2,500 masl. We surveyed the species using Van Someren-Rydon traps with decaying fish as bait in four sites (veredas) in the Eastern Cordillera, in the Municipality of Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. A total of 221 individuals were collected in the four localities. The Vereda Las Brisas had the highest abundance, with 104 specimens (45.4%), followed by El Vergel, 76 (33.2%), Tarqui, 46 (20.1%) and Los Lirios, 2 (0.9%). The record of this species in the mountainous ecosystems of the Department of Caquetá expands the known distribution of B. splendens and adds to the incipient knowledge on the diversity of Diptera in this region.

Altitudinal Distribution of Calliphoridae (Diptera: Insecta) on the Eastern Slope of the Eastern Mountain Range in the Andean Amazon, Colombia

“…In Neotropical countries, such as in Brazil (Barros-Souza et al, 2012) and Colombia (Martínez et al, 2007), studies on Calliphoridae have focused mainly on cadaver decomposition rates and associated fauna. Few studies have been published on the Calliphoridae family in the Andean Amazon lowlands or high-altitude areas (Ramos-Pastrana et al, 2014, 2019; there is only one study involving human bodies (Ramos-Pastrana & Wolff, 2017). The main objective of this study was to identify the species of Calliphoridae that occur on the eastern slope of the Eastern Mountain Range of the Andean Amazon, analyzing their altitudinal distribution, abundance, richness, and diversity patterns.…”