Family Sarcophagidae - Flesh Flies

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Works Cited

Unknown mating flies - Is it possible to identify Genus?

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Oestroidea

Family Sarcophagidae (Flesh Flies)

Explanation of Names

Sarcophagidae Macquart 1834

Numbers

3 subfamilies, with ~400 spp. in ~50 genera in our area, ~3,400 spp. in >170 genera worldwide(1)(2)

Identification

up-to-date info in (3)

blackish with gray thoracic stripes (never metallic); 3 black racing stripes

subfamilies defined in (3)

Pictorial key to some S.American spp. in (4)

Although a few species are distinctive, New World Sarcophagidae should be considered impossible to identify. [comment by John F. Carr]

Range

worldwide and throughout NA(5)(1)

Food

Larvae: many species are necrophagous, but some feed in mammalian tissues or parasitize other arthropods (bees, cicadas, termites, grasshoppers/locusts, millipedes), earthworms, or snails(5). Adults feed on various sugar-containing materials such as nectar, sap, fruit juices and honeydew.

Remarks

Sarcophaga carnaria doesn't occur anywhere in the Americas. Virtually all identifications of that species on iNaturalist fall under obsolete species definition equivalent, at best, to the current concept of Sarcophaginae.

Sarcophaga subivicina, very closely related to S. carnaria is established and potentially common in e.NA. ―Arturo Santos

Works Cited

1.	Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 2 Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1987. Research Branch Agriculture Canada.

2.	Catalogue of Life

3.	Pape T., Dahlem G., de Mello Patiu C.A., Giroux M. (2012) The world of flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

4.	Pictorial identification key for species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of potential forensic importance in southern Brazil Vairo, K.P., C.A. de Mello-Patiu & C.J.B. de Carvalho. 2011. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 55(3): 333-347.

5.	Molecular phylogeny of the Calyptratae (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha)... S.N. Kutty, T. Pape, B.M. Wiegmann, R. Meier. 2010. Systematic Entomology 35: 614–635.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Tony-2, Bbarnd, Chuck Entz, v belov, Marci Hess, PaleoJon, Arturo Santos
Last updated 27 May, 2024 - 4:20pm

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