Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador
Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are among the first insects to arrive on a corpse, and so they are particularly important in forensic entomology. To use blow flies in forensic investigations, there must be information available on their species diversity, abundance, and distribution in the areas...
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2025-05-01
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| author | M. Denise Gemmellaro Gail S. Anderson George C. Hamilton Mariela Domínguez-Trujillo Lauren M. Weidner |
| author_facet | M. Denise Gemmellaro Gail S. Anderson George C. Hamilton Mariela Domínguez-Trujillo Lauren M. Weidner |
| author_sort | M. Denise Gemmellaro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are among the first insects to arrive on a corpse, and so they are particularly important in forensic entomology. To use blow flies in forensic investigations, there must be information available on their species diversity, abundance, and distribution in the areas where investigations are conducted. Several factors can contribute to species distribution, and elevation is one of those factors. The purpose of this study was to document the distribution of Calliphoridae across four elevational gradients in Sicily and Ecuador, where little information is available. Baited traps were placed at elevations ranging from 20 m to 1552 m in Sicily (a major island and region of Italy and a distinct ecoregion) and 561 m to 3336 m in Ecuador. Species richness, relative abundance, and diversity were calculated, as well as the ratio of female to male blow flies and community assemblage. Twelve species were collected in Sicily, and seventeen species were collected in Ecuador. In Sicily, the most abundant species was <i>Lucilia sericata</i> (Meigen) (68.50% of the total capture), while in Ecuador, it was <i>Compsomyiops verena</i> (Walker) (51.67% of the total capture). In Sicily, significant differences were only observed in the relative abundance of <i>L. sericata</i> across elevations. In Ecuador, significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of <i>Calliphora nigribasis</i> (Macquart), <i>Chrysomya albiceps</i> (Wiedemann), <i>C. verena, Hemilucilia semidiaphana</i> (Rondani)<i>, Lucilia ibis</i> (Shannon), <i>L. purpurascens</i> (Walker), and <i>Paralucilia</i> sp. across elevations. These data can help build a checklist of blow fly species in these two regions and can be instrumental in environmental and forensic investigations. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-39cc47adbbe74d4a8fd02784ba1595c82025-08-20T03:14:42ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-05-0116549810.3390/insects16050498Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and EcuadorM. Denise Gemmellaro0Gail S. Anderson1George C. Hamilton2Mariela Domínguez-Trujillo3Lauren M. Weidner4Kean University, 1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083, USASimon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr W, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, CanadaRutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USALaboratorio de Entomología, Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, EcuadorArizona State University, West Campus, 4701 W Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306, USABlow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are among the first insects to arrive on a corpse, and so they are particularly important in forensic entomology. To use blow flies in forensic investigations, there must be information available on their species diversity, abundance, and distribution in the areas where investigations are conducted. Several factors can contribute to species distribution, and elevation is one of those factors. The purpose of this study was to document the distribution of Calliphoridae across four elevational gradients in Sicily and Ecuador, where little information is available. Baited traps were placed at elevations ranging from 20 m to 1552 m in Sicily (a major island and region of Italy and a distinct ecoregion) and 561 m to 3336 m in Ecuador. Species richness, relative abundance, and diversity were calculated, as well as the ratio of female to male blow flies and community assemblage. Twelve species were collected in Sicily, and seventeen species were collected in Ecuador. In Sicily, the most abundant species was <i>Lucilia sericata</i> (Meigen) (68.50% of the total capture), while in Ecuador, it was <i>Compsomyiops verena</i> (Walker) (51.67% of the total capture). In Sicily, significant differences were only observed in the relative abundance of <i>L. sericata</i> across elevations. In Ecuador, significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of <i>Calliphora nigribasis</i> (Macquart), <i>Chrysomya albiceps</i> (Wiedemann), <i>C. verena, Hemilucilia semidiaphana</i> (Rondani)<i>, Lucilia ibis</i> (Shannon), <i>L. purpurascens</i> (Walker), and <i>Paralucilia</i> sp. across elevations. These data can help build a checklist of blow fly species in these two regions and can be instrumental in environmental and forensic investigations.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/498CalliphoridaebiodiversityaltitudeelevationentomologyDiptera |
| spellingShingle | M. Denise Gemmellaro Gail S. Anderson George C. Hamilton Mariela Domínguez-Trujillo Lauren M. Weidner Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador Insects Calliphoridae biodiversity altitude elevation entomology Diptera |
| title | Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador |
| title_full | Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador |
| title_fullStr | Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador |
| title_full_unstemmed | Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador |
| title_short | Species Richness and Distribution of Calliphoridae Along an Elevation Gradient in Sicily (Italy) and Ecuador |
| title_sort | species richness and distribution of calliphoridae along an elevation gradient in sicily italy and ecuador |
| topic | Calliphoridae biodiversity altitude elevation entomology Diptera |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/498 |
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