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3 January 2019 Calliphoridae (Diptera) in Human-Transformed and Wild Habitats: Diversity and Seasonal Fluctuations in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion of South America
Matias I. Dufek, Elena B. Oscherov, Miryam P. Damborsky, Pablo R. Mulieri
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Abstract

A temporal study of the Calliphoridae fauna was conducted in five different types of habitats in the Humid Chaco ecoregion: an urban settlement, a cattle farm, an alfalfa crop, a savanna, and a forest. Research was carried out to analyze 1) how the species composition of blow fly communities changes across different types of human-modified and wild environments, 2) their seasonal fluctuations, and 3) the influence of climatic factors (relative humidity, temperature, and precipitations) on the temporal dynamics of these communities. In each habitat, five sites were selected for the collection of blow flies using bait traps, and flies were collected for 1 yr. In total, 32,100 blow flies were collected, distributed in five genera and 11 species. The native species Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) was the most abundant, followed by the exotic Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The abundance of exotic species represented 59.9% of the total sample, showing a reduction toward less disturbed sites. The Calliphorid communities were compared in terms of species richness, composition, and abundance between habitats and seasons. Our results showed that the habitat type and season affect the composition of blow fly communities. The alfalfa crop and the forest showed the highest diversity of species. In general, there was a decrease in blow fly activity during winter in all habitats. The climatic factors did not greatly affect the diversity of these flies. This study provides a first understanding of several ecological aspects of the Calliphoridae assemblages of the previously unsurveyed Humid Chaco ecoregion of South America.

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Matias I. Dufek, Elena B. Oscherov, Miryam P. Damborsky, and Pablo R. Mulieri "Calliphoridae (Diptera) in Human-Transformed and Wild Habitats: Diversity and Seasonal Fluctuations in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion of South America," Journal of Medical Entomology 56(3), 725-736, (3 January 2019). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy234
Received: 3 October 2018; Accepted: 10 December 2018; Published: 3 January 2019
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KEYWORDS
anthropogenic impact
biodiversity
blow fly
Community composition
temporal fluctuation
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