Taxonomy
Subfamily:
Sarcophaginae
Genus: Sarcophaga
Meigen 1826
Subgenus: Sarcorohdendorfia
Baranov 1938
Species: praedatrix Walker 1849
Biology
Sarcophaga praedatrix, also referred to as Sarcophaga tryoni Johnston and Tiegs (1921), is a common species throughout Australia. In Brisbane, larvae are not believed to survive the cooler months between June and August (Johnston and Tiegs, 1921). The first-, second- and third-instar larvae were described by Cantrell (1981; referred to as Tricholioproctia tryoni). Sarcophaga praedatrix has been caught at decayed carrion baits by KAM and JFW and has featured in forensic cases in Australia (JFW pers. comm.). Note however, that data on S. praedatrix in the literature may include the undescribed species here listed as 'Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) form 2'.Distribution
AUSTRALASIAN/OCEANIAN – (Australia – New South Wales, Northern
Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia).
Relevant Literature
Cantrell, B.K. (1981) The immature stages of some Australian Sarcophaginae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 20, 237-248.
Johnston, T.H.,
and Tiegs, O.W. (1921) New and little-known sarcophagid
flies from south-eastern Queensland. Proceedings of
the Royal Society of Queensland 33, 46-90.
Walker, F. (1849) 'List
of the specimens of dipterous insects in the collection of
the British Museum.' (British Museum: London) Part IV. pp.
689-1172.