Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart, 1844)

Tantawi, Tarek I. & Sinclair, Bradley J., 2013, An update of the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the Galápagos Islands, and first record of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) from mainland Ecuador, Zootaxa 3750 (3), pp. 237-250 : 244

Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart, 1844) from mainland Ecuador

We record for the first time the presence of Chrysomya rufifacies from mainland Ecuador. Two females of this species were collected along with six specimens of Ch. albiceps by S. & J. Peck from Pichincha Province, 4 km west of Alóag, 19–25.vii.1985. The two C. rufifacies are deposited in the CNC and were only recently examined. Chrysomya rufifacies , an Oriental and Australasian blow fly, was first introduced into Central America in 1978 from where it has dispersed rapidly across North America (Baumgartner 1993; Rosati & VanLaerhoven 2007). In South America, this species has been recorded from Argentina in 1986/1987 (Mariluis & Schnack 1989), Colombia in 1991/1992 (Barreto et al. 2002), and recently from Brazil in 2010 (Almeida Silva et al. 2012).

Chrysomya rufifacies can be easily separated from its biological equivalent (James 1947), Ch. albiceps , by the presence of a proepimeral seta on the thorax. This seta is absent in the latter species. The third instars of these species possess specific morphological differences (Tantawi & Greenberg 1993; Wells et al. 1999).

We provide a key to differentiate between adults of Ch. rufifacies and Ch. putoria for three main reasons: 1) the two species are the only Neotropical members in the genus Chrysomya that possess a white anterior spiracle with a proepimeral seta (incorrectly termed proepisternal by Almeida Silva et al. 2012), 2) South American specimens of Ch. rufifacies have been previously misidentified as Ch. putoria (see Almeida Silva et al. 2012), and 3) we find the key of Almeida Silva et al. (2012) to be inadequate (i.e., differences in the colour of the notum and genal dilation and chaetotaxy of the fronto-orbital plates are not mentioned). Our key is based on Rognes & Paterson (2005) and Whitworth (2010b).

1 Both sexes: notum shining, with little white microtomentum; genal dilation mostly or entirely yellow to orange in ground colour. Male: frons width twice width of anterior ocellus; outer vertical seta present. Female: tergite 5 with hind margin incised mid-dorsally; fronto-orbital plate without setae in front of lateroclinate seta......................................................................... Chrysomya rufifacies (for male terminalia, see Almeida Silva et al. 2012, figs 6, 7)

- Both sexes: notum with conspicuous white microtomentum; genal dilation blackish in ground colour. Male: frons width less than width of anterior ocellus; outer vertical seta absent. Female: tergite 5 with hind margin entire; fronto-orbital plate with 1– 3 outwardly directed setae in front of lateroclinate seta.............................................................................................. Chrysomya putoria (for male terminalia, see Rognes & Paterson 2005, fig. 10)