Taxonomy
Subfamily: Sarcophaginae
Genus: Sarcophaga Meigen 1826
Subgenus: Parasarcophaga Johnston & Tiegs 1921
Species: albiceps Meigen 1826
Biology
Sarcophaga albiceps breeds in decaying organic matter and has been
observed to larviposit on mutton in India and fish in
Pakistan (Shazia et al., 2006; Singh & Bharti,
2008). Similar observations have been made of this
species breeding on faeces in the presence of carrion in
Thailand (Bänziger and
Pape 2004). Also, S. albiceps has
been documented causing cutaneous myiasis of buffalo,
cows and humans (Castro et al. 2010). Larvae of S.
albiceps are facultative predators of a variety of
butterfly (Lepidoptera) pupae and Hymenoptera larvae. The
third-instar larva was described by Ishijima (1967).
Distribution
AUSTRALASIAN/OCEANIAN – (Australia – Queensland), ORIENTAL, PALAEARCTIC.Relevant Literature
Bänziger,
H., and Pape, T. (2004) Flowers, faeces and cadavers:
natural feeding and laying habits of flesh flies in
Thailand (Diptera: Sarcophagidae, Sarcophaga spp.).
Journal of
Natural History 38, 1677-1694.
Castro,
C.B., Garcia, M.D., Arnaldos, M.I., and
González-Mora, D. (2010) Sarcophagidae (Diptera)
attracted to piglet carcasses including new records for
Portuguese fauna. Graellsia 66, 285-294.
Ishijima, H. (1967) Revision of the third stage larvae of synanthropic flies of Japan (Diptera: Anthomyiidae, Muscidae, Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae). Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology 18, 47-200.
Meigen, J.W. (1826) Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäischen zweiflügeligen Insekten. Fünfter Theil. Schulz, Hamm. xii + 412 pp., pls. 42-54.
Singh, B., and Bharti,
M. (2008) Some notes on the nocturnal
larviposition by two species of Sarcophaga
(Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Forensic Science
International 177, 19-20.
Shazia,
T.M., Suhail, A., and Yousuf, M.J. (2006)
Systematics and populations of sarcophagid flies in
Faisalabad (Pakistan). International Journal of
Agriculture & Biology 8(6),
809-811.