Taxonomy

Family: Calliphoridae

Subfamily: Calliphorinae

Genus: Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

Subgenus: Paracalliphora Townsend 1916

Species: centralis Malloch 1927

The immature stages are unknown.

Biology

Calliphora centralis is undoubtedly attracted to carrion, however, it has not been observed breeding in this medium. It is however believed to be a carrion-breeder, as females carry relatively large first-instar larvae like other known carrion-breeders of the subgenus Paracalliphora (Wallman 2001).

It is an open forest species, often confined to timbered plain country (Hardy 1932; Hardy 1937). Early authors suggested that C. centralis is not attracted to carrion and is difficult to capture with traps. The present authors have captured this species using carrion as bait.

Distribution

Calliphora centralis occurs throughout coastal New South Wales north of Sydney, extending into southern Queensland (Hardy 1937).

Relevant Literature

Hardy, G.H. (1932) Some Australian species of Calliphora (subgenera Neopollenia and Proekon). Bulletin of Entomological Research 23, 549-558.

Hardy, G.H. (1937) Notes on the genus Calliphora (Diptera). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 62, 17-26.

Wallman, J.F. (2001) A key to the adults of species of blowflies in southern Australia known or suspected to breed in carrion. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 15, 433-437.

Wallman, J.F., Leys, R. and Hogendoorn, K. (2005) Molecular systematics of Australian carrion-breeding blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) based on mitochondrial DNA. Invertebrate Systematics 19, 1-15.