Comparative micromorphology of third instar larvae and the breeding biology of some Afrotropical Sarcophaga (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

Abstract

Four sympatric species of Sarcophaga, viz S. cruentata Meigen, S. exuberans Pandelle, S. nodosa Engel and S. tibialis Macquart, which occur in the Transvaal, South Africa, showed oviparity under optimum laboratory breeding conditions. Details of the life cycle duration under these conditions are discussed. Rearing and colonizing methods were developed. Scanning electron microscopy of third instar larvae provided useful data in distinguishing between the four species. The characters which were examined were the spinulation of the body segments and the rim surrounding the spiracular atrium of the posterior spiracles, the anterior spiracles and the spiracular hairs of the posterior spiracles.

Comparative morphology of early stages of two Mediterranean Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826 (Diptera; Sarcophagidae) and a review of the feeding habits of Palaearctic species

“…The arrangement of the spinules in the spiracular atrium of S. hirticrus (as far as the outer circumference of the ring of tubercles) is similar to that found in S. exuberans (Aspoas, 1991), whereas in S. javita, S. tibialis and S. dux (Aspoas, 1991;Sukontason et al, 2003) these spinules are extended only as far as the inner circumference of the ring.…”

“…Within the Sarcophagidae, larvae of some species of the genera Oxysarcodexia and Ravinia , Sarcophaga (Aspoas, 1991;Kirk-Spriggs, 1999, 2003Sukontason et al, 2003) and Wohlfahrtia (Ruiz-Martínez et al, 1989), have been described using of SEM. The increase of this kind of study is a consequence that the knowledge of the morphology of the immature stages receiving more attention due to their use in medico-forensic entomology.…”

“…In the case of the Sarcophagidae relatively few papers have appeared dedicated to the larval morphology of the family (Aspoas, 1991;Ebejer, 2000;Kirk-Spriggs, 1999, 2003Méndez and Pape, 2002;Zumpt, 1965). The larval stages of many species of Sarcophagidae are necrophagous and for this reason those species termed 'flesh-flies' are significant in forensic entomology, being second only to the Calliphoridae (Diptera) in terms of their usefulness.…”

“…Sarcophagids larvae are easily recognised at family and generic level, but are morphologically remarkably similar subgenerically and inter-specifically (Aspoas, 1991). The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe and photograph the morphology of dipterous larvae has enabled observation of a suite of intra-specific differences (Colwell, 1989), and to characterise some aspects (pseudocephalon, spinules, anterior and posterior spiracles, spiracular setae, rim of spiracular atrium tubercles and sensilia) not easily resolved with light microscopy (Aspoas, 1991).…”

“…The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe and photograph the morphology of dipterous larvae has enabled observation of a suite of intra-specific differences (Colwell, 1989), and to characterise some aspects (pseudocephalon, spinules, anterior and posterior spiracles, spiracular setae, rim of spiracular atrium tubercles and sensilia) not easily resolved with light microscopy (Aspoas, 1991). For this reason Cantrell (1981), indicates that it is important to describe the number of papillae forming the anterior spiracles, the shape of the peritreme of the posterior spiracles and the cephalopharingeal skeleton.…”