Thyreophora Cynophila (Panzer), Centrophlebomyia Furcata (Fabricius) and Other Dipterans Associated to Winter Carcasses (Insecta: Diptera)
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Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.), nº 48 (30/06/2011): 217‒220. THYREOPHORA CYNOPHILA (PANZER), CENTROPHLEBOMYIA FURCATA (FABRICIUS) AND OTHER DIPTERANS ASSOCIATED TO WINTER CARCASSES (INSECTA: DIPTERA) Miguel Carles-Tolrá1, Félix Compaired2 & Javier Blasco3 1 Avda. Príncipe de Asturias 30, ático 1; E-08012 Barcelona, Spain. ‒ [email protected] 2 Calle El Pintón, 19; E-50619 Luesia, Zaragoza, Spain. ‒ [email protected] 3 Calle Hispanidad, 8; E-50750 Pina de Ebro, Zaragoza, Spain. ‒ [email protected] Abstract: New populations of the piophilids Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer) and Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius) have been found in Spain, thus extending their known distribution to the east of the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, Prochyliza nigri- cornis (Meigen) has been collected in the Iberian Peninsula for the second time. Finally, other dipterous species collected on winter carcasses are mentioned. Key words: Diptera, Thyreophora cynophila, Centrophlebomyia furcata, carcasses, Spain. Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer), Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius) y otros dípteros asociados a cadáveres inver- nales (Insecta: Diptera) Resumen: Se han hallado nuevas poblaciones de los piofílidos Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer) y Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius) en España, ampliando su distribución conocida hacia el este peninsular. Además, Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen) se captura por segunda vez de la Península Ibérica. Finalmente, se presentan otras especies de dípteros recogidas sobre cadáveres invernales. Palabras clave: Diptera, Thyreophora cynophila, Centrophlebomyia furcata, cadáveres, España. Introduction The story repeats. On the Tuesday morning of 8 March are in Autumn and Spring, with 800 mm in lower zones and 2011, just before going to bed, the first author (MC-T) up to 1.200 mm in higher altitudes, above 1.000 m a.s.l. In opened a message sent by the third autor (JB). It had two Winter, the temperatures may reach -16 ºC and snow above attached files and said: “A friend (Félix Compaired) has of 900 m a.s.l. sent me the photos of the fly attached, these were taken in These characteristics, together with a complicated re- Luesia (Zaragoza). He tells me that three specimens went in lief, allow the presence of a great variety of vegetals, being and out of the nostrils of a dead cow“. When I read “dead abundant oak (Quercus faginea), pine (Pinus sylvestris) and cow“, I immediately thought “What if they are of Thyreo- beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests. A long time ago, a large phora cynophila again?“ And ..... when I opened the first quantity of oak forests were cut to convert them into cereal photo (Fig. 1), effectively, not one but two specimens of it fields. Nevertheless, some years later such fields were appeared. And, when I opened the second one (Fig. 2) ..... a abandoned, some of them are now natural meadows, whe- first plane of it was shown. ¡Hallucinating, incredible, they reas many others were reforested, more than 40 years ago, had photographed Thyreophora cynophila again, but the with pines of Pinus sylvestris and P. nigra ssp. nigra. The most interesting was that they were from a new zone! undergrowth is mainly formed by shrubs of box (Buxus ¡Another region where this enigmatic and beautiful fly sempervirens), holly (Ilex aquifolium), juniper (Juniperus lives! Again, the sensation I felt when I saw them was unde- communis) and greenweed (Genista scorpius), whereas the scribable. The next day I spoke with the photos‘ author (FC) most abundant grass is Helictothricum cantabricum. with the intention of going there and trying to collect at Among the fauna we emphasize the great abundance least one specimen, even though the photos had been taken of wild boars (Sus scrofa) and increasing deer (Cervus ela- almost one month before (12 February 2011). Taking ad- phus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Fox (Vulpes vantage that I was on vacation, I went there two days later. vulpes), badgers (Meles meles), stone martens (Martes foi- As said, the story repeats as in Carles-Tolrá et al., 2010. na) and wild cats (Felis silvestris), can also be found. It is also very important to emphasize the abundance, since for- Studied area mer times, of livestock, composed of cows, sheep, horses and goats. Undoubtedly, all this vertebrate fauna of mam- The Sierra de Santo Domingo is situated in the North of mals has allowed T. cynophila to not become extinct in this Zaragoza province (Aragón, Spain), half way between the region. Pyrenees and Ebro Valley. It has a surface of 12.000 ha and Likewise, we emphasize that the rocky tops, house co- belongs to the municipalities of Luesia, Biel-Fuencalderas lonies of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), as well as pairs of and Longás. eagle owls (Bubo bubo), lammergeiers (Gypaetus barbatus) It presents various rivers, among which we emphasize and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Finally, there are Arba de Luesia, Arba de Biel and Onsella. Its altitude varies also a lot of other birds of smaller size. from 800 to 1.525 m a.s.l. The climate is mediterranean, softened by the atlantic influence. The greater precipitations 217 Material and methods They were not completely sure that the dead cow had still Oldenbergiella calcarifera Papp, 1980 stayed there after almost one month, as a lot of depredators Material studied: 10.3.2011 6/0, 11.3.2011 21/10 (ten pairs live in such zone (see above). Therefore, in case, I brought mating). remains of sheep (heads cut in half, skin…..) and calf (fe- A fairly common psychrophilous and necrophagous species. On- ly those females that were mating (10) have been identified. mora, spinal columns, ribs…..). I left all of these remains in the open air two days so that they would begin to decay as Oldenbergiella seticerca Papp, 1980 much as possible before I went there. When we arrived to Material studied: 10.3.2011 118/0, 11.3.2011 72/1 (one pair the place of the dead cow, we fortunately saw that it was mating). still there, and furthermore entire. The dead cow was in a A psychrophilous and necrophagous species. Only one female that was mating has been identified. reforested zone, concretely in the forestal path that goes from Barranco de Luzientes to Barranco de Tresecho (UTM Oldenbergiella sp. 30TXM666920/4702470), at an altitude of 970 m a.s.l., in Material studied: 10.3.2011 0/25, 11.3.2011 0/16. the Tablado de Fayanás hill, belonging to the municipy of According to the males collected these females should belong Luesia. So, we also put the remains in the middle of the to O. calcarifera and O. seticerca. This new material will be same forestal path, near the cow, and spread out in four added to that collected in Carles-Tolrá (2011) for the separa- tion of both species, that will be done in an additional work, as washing bowls. To collect the flies the first author (MC-T) it is indicated in such paper. used an aspirator. The collecting time was only of two days (10 and 11 March 2011). Nevertheless, even though the PIOPHILIDAE time period was short, we have obtained excellent results. This family has given, without any doubt, the most unexpected and surprising results. We highlight three of the four species col- Results lected. Although the main aim of the travel was to collect at least Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius, 1794) one specimen of T. cynophila, I took advantage, obviously, Material studied: 10.3.2011 4/1, 11.3.2011 3/2. to collect other dipterans attracted by the dead cow and These specimens of C. furcata have been very interesting, and remains, that were put as bait. So, a total of 405 specimens at the same time unexpected. Effectively, C. furcata had also of dipterans belonging to 15 species of 6 families were also been thought to be extinct in mainland Europe for more than caught, as it is shown below. We highlight, very specially, one year until one specimen was recently collected in the Sier- the captures of Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer), Centroph- ra de Guadarrama (Madrid, Spain) (Gómez-Gómez et al., lebomyia furcata (Fabricius) and Prochyliza nigricornis 2008). Now, 10 specimens of both sexes have been collected, (Meigen), all belonging to the family Piophilidae. All the and in only two sampling days, which means that its popula- material has been collected and identified by the first author tion is abundant. I want to highlight that when I was aspirating these exemplars I thought they were Heleomyzidae (Heleomy- and it is preserved in alcohol (70º) in his private collection. za, Neoleria), because at simple sight they are very similar The proportion of sexes has been separated by a slash / and, furthermore, it is what was found in Sierra de Cebollera (males/females). one year ago (Carles-Tolrá et al., 2010). What was my sur- prise when I arrived home and saw with the binocular micro- DRYOMYZIDAE scope that they were not heleomyzids, but C. furcata! If I had Dryomyza flaveola (Fabricius, 1794) known I would have captured many more! These specimens Material studied: 10.3.2011 0/1, 11.3.2011 2/0. represent, therefore, the second capture of this species, after A common saprophagous and necrophagous species. more than one century, for mainland Europe. Its geographical distribution is now expanded to the east of the Iberian Penin- HELEOMYZIDAE sula in Aragón. As in a previous study on dipterans associated to winter cadavers Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen, 1826) (Carles-Tolrá, 2011), this family has been, by far, the most abun- Material studied: 10.3.2011 14/2 (one pair mating), 11.3.2011 dant one. Concretely, due again to the genus Oldenbergiella 8/4. Czerny, 1924, confirming again that this genus can be extremely Also interesting capture, as it represents the second record for abundant and common in the appropiate habitats (see Carles- the Iberian Peninsula, after Martín-Vega & Baz, 2010.