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Calliphora vicina

Lateral view

C. vicina habitus

Australian distribution

Taxonomy

Family: Calliphoridae

Subfamily: Calliphorinae

Genus: Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

Subgenus: Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

Species: vicina Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

 

The first-, second- and third-instar larvae were described by Erzinçlioglu (1984) and Liu and Greenberg (1989). Wallman (2001) described the third-instar larva. The egg and puparium were described by Liu and Greenberg (1989).

Biology

Calliphora vicina is a cosmopolitan species found in many parts of the world, and occurs as an exotic in Australia and New Zealand. It prefers cold areas and is synanthropic (Wallman 2001). It is oviparous and plays a minor role in sheep strike in Australia, while also being of major forensic importance in Europe and southern Australian cities, such as Adelaide and Melbourne.

Distribution

In Australia, Calliphora vicina occurs in all south-eastern states, including the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It is common in Adelaide and Melbourne, and uncommon in Sydney. Sydney probably represents the northern limit of its Australian distribution.

Relevant Literature

Dear, J.P. (1985) Calliphoridae (Insecta, Diptera). Fauna of New Zealand 8, 86.

Erzinçlioglu, Y.Z. (1984). Studies on the morphology and taxonomy of the immature stages of Calliphoridae, with analysis of phylogenetic relationships within the family, and between it and other groups in the Cyclorrhapha (Diptera). PhD Thesis, University of Durham.

Liu, D. and Greenberg, B. 1989. Immature stages of some flies of forensic importance. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 80-93.

Palmer, D.H. (1980) Partitioning of the carrion resource by sympatric Calliphoridae (Diptera) near Melbourne. PhD Thesis, La Trobe University.


Wallman, J.F. (2001) Third-instar larvae of common carrion-breeding blowflies of the genus Calliphora (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in South Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15, 37-51.