The Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of the Coastline of Buenos Aires City, Argentina

Fil: Mariluis, Juan C. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-Epidemias; Argentina.Fil: Schnack, Juan A. División Entomología, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata; Argentina.Fil: Mulieri, Pablo R. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-Epidemias; Argentina.Fil: Torretta, Juan P. Cátedra de Botánica Agrícola, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires; Argentina.The flesh fly community was surveyed on the shoreline of Río de la Plata at an ecological reserve whose western border directly abuts downtown eastern Buenos Aires. Samples were taken at monthly intervals from September 2004 to August 2005. To attract the flies, dog faeces and rotten cow liver were used as bait. Overall number, species composition and sex ratio were referred to each chosen bait. Of the thirteen species captured during the sampling period, Helicobia aurescens (Townsend), Oxysarcodexia culmiforceps Dodge, Oxysarcodexia marina (Hall), Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker), Sarcophaga (Lipoptilocnema) koehleri (Blanchard), S. (L.) lanei (Townsend) and Tricharaea (Sarcophagula) occidua (Fabricius) were recorded for the first time in Buenos Aires city. Regardless of species composition, higher number of flies were obtained on faeces. Tricharaea (S.) occidua, was highly dominant (78,35%) followed in abundance by Oxysarcodexia varia (7,82%), both species showing a strong preference for dog faeces. Microcerella muehni and Oxysarcodexia paulistanensis did not show any preference on either bait. Sex ratio was male biased for O. varia, while females were dominant for O. paulistanensis and T. (S.) occidua, and no differences were found for M. muehni. Bait's preference and sex ratio could not be estimated for the remaining species due to their low abundance

The population ecology of <i>Muscina stabulans</i> (Fallén) (Diptera: Muscidae), along an urban-rural gradient of Buenos Aires, Argentina

The false stable fly, Muscina stabulans (Fallén), was surveyed along an urban-rural gradient at Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Samples were taken at monthly intervals from May 2005 to April 2007. Hourly captures of adult flies (10:00 am - 04:00 pm) were taken at each sampling date with a hand net. The baits used were 250 g of rotten cow liver and 250 g of fresh dog faeces exposed in shaded and sunny areas. The entire sample accumulated 358 specimens. The number of specimens captured during the second year was higher than in the first year. Muscina stabulans was more abundant at urban-suburban sites. Females showed significant preferences for cow liver. We caught more specimens in shaded areas. The hourly activity increased toward the afternoon at the three sites. The present work was the first ecological study related to a muscid species in Argentina.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Miasis

La invasión de los tejidos de los vertebrados por las larvas de dípteros se denomina miasis. Las larvas producen la infestación para obtener su alimento de los tejidos vivos (biontófagas) o muertos (necrobiontófagas) o del alimento ingerido por el hospedador. Varias especies de dípteros provocan un daño importante en los animales silvestres o domesticados o en el humano. La asociación entre las larvas y el hospedador que sufre la invasión es muy variada, desde un grado muy íntimo hasta ocasional. Las miasis ocurren en todas las regiones del mundo, y en el caso de la especie humana, la mayor incidencia ocurre en comunidades empobrecidas de países tropicales y subtropicales, en condiciones de falta de higiene o indigencia.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Diversity and seasonal dynamics of an assemblage of sarcophagid Diptera in a gradient of urbanization

Sarcophagid species inhabiting different locations in a rural-urban gradient were surveyed in the east central Argentine district of the Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires province. The main objectives of this research were to identify the most prevalent sarcophagid species and to describe community richness and diversity according to the degree of urbanization and the environmental variables measured in three locations within a rural-urban gradient sampled during two years from May 2005 to April 2007. Spatial and seasonal variations were the main factors involved in structuring the sarcophagid communities. Diversity was lower in urbanized areas than in rural ones. Bait and microhabitat preferences (sunny or shady places) and seasonal fluctuations were described for 17 sarcophagid species.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The population ecology of <i>Muscina stabulans</i> (Fallén) (Diptera: Muscidae), along an urban-rural gradient of Buenos Aires, Argentina

The false stable fly, Muscina stabulans (Fallén), was surveyed along an urban-rural gradient at Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Samples were taken at monthly intervals from May 2005 to April 2007. Hourly captures of adult flies (10:00 am - 04:00 pm) were taken at each sampling date with a hand net. The baits used were 250 g of rotten cow liver and 250 g of fresh dog faeces exposed in shaded and sunny areas. The entire sample accumulated 358 specimens. The number of specimens captured during the second year was higher than in the first year. Muscina stabulans was more abundant at urban-suburban sites. Females showed significant preferences for cow liver. We caught more specimens in shaded areas. The hourly activity increased toward the afternoon at the three sites. The present work was the first ecological study related to a muscid species in Argentina.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Diversity and Seasonal Dynamics of an Assemblage of Sarcophagid Diptera in a Gradient of Urbanization

Sarcophagid species inhabiting different locations in a rural-urban gradient were surveyed in the east central Argentine district of the Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires province. The main objectives of this research were to identify the most prevalent sarcophagid species and to describe community richness and diversity according to the degree of urbanization and the environmental variables measured in three locations within a rural-urban gradient sampled during two years from May 2005 to April 2007. Spatial and seasonal variations were the main factors involved in structuring the sarcophagid communities. Diversity was lower in urbanized areas than in rural ones. Bait and microhabitat preferences (sunny or shady places) and seasonal fluctuations were described for 17 sarcophagid species

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Redescripción de Archytas cirphis (Diptera: Tachinidae) y primer registro del hospedero para la región Neotropical

Se redescribe e ilustra el holotipo macho y una hembra de Archytas cirphis Curran (Diptera: Tachinidae). La presente constituye la primera cita de la especie para la Argentina, Paraguay y Perú. Además, se registra por primera vez el hospedero Mythimna sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) para la región Neotropical

Redescripción de Archytas cirphis (Diptera: Tachinidae) y primer registro del hospedero para la región Neotropical Redescription of Archytas cirphis (Diptera: Tachinidae) and the first host record for the Neotropical region

Se redescribe e ilustra el holotipo macho y una hembra de Archytas cirphis Curran (Diptera: Tachinidae). La presente constituye la primera cita de la especie para la Argentina, Paraguay y Perú. Además, se registra por primera vez el hospedero Mythimna sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) para la región Neotropical.The holotype male and a female of Archytas cirphis Curran (Diptera: Tachinidae) are redescribed and illustrated. The species is newly recorded for Argentina, Paraguay and Perú. Additionally, the host Mythimna sp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is recorded for the first time for the Neotropical region