Species composition and seasonal succession of saprophagous calliforids in a rural area of Cordoba (Argentina).

BATTÁN HORENSTEIN, M.; A.X. LINHARES; B. ROSSO & M.D. GARCÍA

BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Scielo

Lugar: Chile; Año: 2007 vol. 40 p. 163 - 171

0716-9760

During 2004, four experiments were carried out, one for each season, in order to determine the species composition and seasonal dynamics of Calliphoridae in a rural area of Cordoba (Argentina). Two pigs (Sus scrofa L.), weighing approximately 8 Kg each, were used for each of the four experiments. They were killed with a blow to the head and immediately placed in a variant of the Schoenly et al. (1991) trap. One pig was exposed in the shade and the other one under direct sunlight. The insect fauna was collected daily during the four first weeks and every two or three days there after. A total of 16.609 adults of Calliphoridae were collected, belonging to seven species: Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Phaenicia sericata (Meigen), Phaenicia eximia (Wiedemann), Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann) and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy. C. albiceps was the dominant species in summer, autumn and spring, being replaced in winter by C. vicina, S. chlorogaster and P. sericata. The analysis of the seasonal distribution of the species revealed that the greater incidences are in the months of summer, autumn and spring. Key words: calliphorids, necrophages, seasonal dynamics, succession