Sarcophaga Explained

Sarcophaga is a genus of true flies and the type genus of the flesh-fly family (Sarcophagidae). The members of this cosmopolitan genus are frequently known as common flesh flies. There are more than 1000 species in Sarcophaga.

This genus occurs essentially worldwide. These flies are generally well-sized and of a greyish color; like many of their relatives, the typical patterns are lengthwise darker stripes on the thorax and dark and light square dots on the abdomen. Many have conspicuous red compound eyes. These are set further apart in females than in males; the females are also larger on average. As typical for this family, it is almost impossible to tell the species apart from their outward appearance, and many can only be reliably identified by microscopic examination of the males' genitalia.^[1]

As the common name implies, their larvae typically feed on decaying meat. Some, however, instead eat the bacteria and other small organisms living on carrion. Many species have adapted to humans, and while they are usually nuisance pests, some are medically significant vectors of pathogens and bacteria. Sometimes, the larvae cause myiasis. Others are parasitoids of pest caterpillars and beneficial in forestry and orchards.

Well-known species are Sarcophaga africa, Sarcophaga bercaea, the grey flesh-fly Sarcophaga bullata, Sarcophaga carnaria, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, the friendly fly Sarcophaga aldrichi and the red-tailed flesh-fly Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis.

Subgenera

The immense number of Sarcophaga species is divided among the following subgenera, some of which are occasionally considered (and may well be) distinct genera:

• Aethianella Zumpt, 1972^[2]
• Aethiopisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Afrohelicobia Zumpt, 1972^[2]
• Afrothyrsocnema Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Alisarcophagaa Fan & Chen, 1981^[4]
• Amharomyia Verves, 1984^[5]
• Anthostilophalla Lehrer, 1993^[6]
• Asceloctella Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Asiopierretia Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Australopierretia Verves, 1987^[9]
• Baliisca Verves, 1980^[10]
• Baranovisca Lopes, 1985^[11]
• Batissophalla Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Bellieriomima Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Bercaea (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863)^[13]
• Bercaeopsis Townsend, 1917^[14]
• Beziella Enderlein, 1937^[15]
• Bilenemyia Verves, 1989^[16]
• Boettcheria Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Brasia Strand, 1932^[17]
• Caledonia Curran, 1929^[18]
• Callostuckenbergia Lehrer & Lehrer, 1992^[19]
• Camerounisca Verves, 1989^[16]
• Cercosarcophaga Zumpt, 1972^[2]
• Chaetophalla Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Chrysosarcophaga Townsend, 1933^[20]
• Curranisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Curtophalla Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Cyclophalla Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Danbeckia Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Dinemomyia Chen, 1975^[22]
• Diplonophalla Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Discachaeta Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Drakensbergiana Lehrer, 1992^[23]
• Durbanella Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Dysparaphalla Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Fengia Rohdendorf, 1964^[24]
• Fergusonimyia Lopes, 1958^[25]
• Fijimyia Lopes & Kano, 1971^[26]
• Hadroxena Whitmore, Buenaventura & Pape, 2018^[27]
• Hardyella Lopes, 1959^[28]
• Harpagophalla Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Harpagophalloides Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Helicophagella Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Heteronychia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889^[29]
• Hoa Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Hosarcophaga Shinonaga & Tumrasvin, 1979^[30]
• Hyperacanthisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Ihosyia Verves, 1989^[16]
• Iranihindia Rohdendorf, 1961
• Johnsonimima Kano & Lopes, 1971^[31]
• Johnstonimyia Lopes, 1959^[28]
• Kalshovenella Baranov, 1941^[32]
• Kanoa Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Kanomyia Shinonaga & Tumrasvin, 1979^[30]
• Kozlovea Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Kramerea Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Krameromyia Verves, 1982^[33]
• Leucomyia Brauer & von Bergenstamm, 1891^[34]
• Lipoptilocnema Townsend, 1934^[35]
• Lioplacella Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Lioproctia Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Liopygia Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Liosarcophaga Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Macabiella Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Mandalania Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Mauritiella Verves, 1989^[16]
• Mehria Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Mimarhopocnemis Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Mindanaoa Lopes & Kano, 1979^[36]
• Mufindia Verves, 1990^[37]
• Myorhina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
• Neobellieria Blanchard, 1939^[38]
• Neosarcophaga Shewell, 1996^[39]
• Nesbittia Verves, 1989^[16]
• Nigerimyia Verves, 1989^[16]
• Nihonea Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Notoecus Stein, 1924^[40]
• Nudicerca Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Nuzzaciella Lehrer, 1994^[41]
• Nyikamyia Lehrer, 1994^[41]
• Pandelleana Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Pandelleisca Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Paraethiopisca Zumpt, 1972^[2]
• Parasarcophaga Johnston & Tiegs, 1921^[42]
• Petuniophalla Lehrer, 1994^[21]
• Phalacrodiscus Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Phallantha Rohdendorf, 1938^[43]
• Phallanthisca Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Phallocheira Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Phallonychia Verves, 1982^[33]
• Phallosphaera Rohdendorf, 1938^[43]
• Phytosarcophaga Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Poecilometopa Villeneuve, 1913^[44]
• Poeciphaoides Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Prionophalla Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Pseudaethiopisca Verves, 1989^[16]
• Pseudothyrsocnema Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Pterolobomyia Lehrer, 1992^[23]
• Pterophalla Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Pterosarcophaga Ye, 1981^[45]
• Robineauella Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Rohdendorfisca Ye, 1981^[45]
• Rosellea Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Sabiella Verves, 1990^[37]
• Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826
• Sarcorohdendorfia Baranov, 1938^[46]
• Sarcosolomonia Baranov, 1938^[46]
• Sarcotachinella Townsend, 1892^[47]
• Scotathyrsia Enderlein, 1937^[12]
• Sinonipponia Rohdendorf, 1959^[48]
• Sisyhelicobia Zumpt, 1972^[2]
• Stackelbergeola Boris Rohdendorf, 1937^[12]
• Takanoa Boris Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Takaraia Kano & Field, 1963^[49]
• Taylorimyia Lopes, 1959^[28]
• Thyrsocnema Enderlein, 1928^[7]
• Tolucamyia Dodge, 1965^[50]
• Torgopampa Lopes, 1975^[51]
• Transvaalomyia Lehrer, 1992^[23]
• Tuberomembrana Fan, 1981^[52]
• Uroxanthisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Varirosellea Xue, 1979
• Wohlfahrtiopsis Townsend, 1917^[53]
• Xanthopterisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]
• Ziminisca Rohdendorf, 1965^[8]
• Zombanella Lehrer, 1992^[23]
• Zumptiopsis Lehrer & Lehrer, 1992^[19]
• Zumptisca Rohdendorf, 1963^[3]

Further reading

• 21157125 . 2010 . Natori . S . Molecules participating in insect immunity of Sarcophaga peregrina . 86 . 10 . 927–38 . 3035055 . Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B . 10.2183/pjab.86.927. 2010PJAB...86..927N .
• 21437478 . 2011 . Sousa . JR . Esposito . MC . Carvalho Filho . FS . Composition, abundance and richness of Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) in forests and forest gaps with different vegetation cover . 40 . 1 . 20–27 . Neotropical Entomology . 10.1590/S1519-566X2011000100003. free .

Notes and References

1. Book: Pape, Thomas . The Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark . Print . . 19 . 1987 . E..J Brill . Leiden . 90-04-08184-4 . 1–203 .
2. Zumpt . Fritz Konrad Ernst . Calliphoridae (Diptera Cyclorrhapha). Part IV. Sarcophaginae . Explor. Parc Natn. Albert, Miss. G.F. De Witte . 1972 . 101 . 1–264.
3. Rohdendorf . Boris Borisovitsch . Über das System der Sarcophaginen der äthiopischen Fauna . Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde . 1963 . 124 . 1–22.
4. Fan . Z.-d. . Chen . Z.-z . A new genus and a new species belonging to Sarcophagini from Hainan Island, China (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) . Contr. Shanghai Inst. Ent . 1981 . 2 . 241–244.
5. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . A new Sarcophaginae fly genus (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) from Ethiopia . Vest. Zool. . 1984 . 1984 . 2 . 41–46.
6. Lehrer . Andy . Anthostilophalla klinzigi gen.n., sp.n. d'Afrique du Sud (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de Mulhouse . 1993 . 1993 . 1–4.
7. Enderlein . G. . Klassifikation der Sarcophagiden. Sarcophagiden-Studien I . Archiv für Klassifikatorische und Phylogenetische Entomologie . 1928 . 1 . 1–56.
8. Rohdendorf . B.B. . Composition of the tribe Sarcophagini (Diptera,Sarcophagidae) in Eurasia . Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie . 1965 . 44 . 676–695.
9. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . Sarcophagidae (Diptera), collected by V.F. Zaitzev and G.M. Dlusskij in Australia and Oceania . Entomologicheskoe Óbozrenie . 1987 . 66 . 653–668.
10. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of southeast Asia and Pacific Islands . Nauchnye Doklady Vyshey Shkoly, Biologicheskie Nauki . 1980 . 11 . 35–41 . ru.
11. Lopes . H.d.S. . A new genus of Sarcophagidae (Diptera), based on an Australian species living on spider egg cases . Australian Entomological Magazine . 1985 . 12 . 51–53.
12. Rohdendorf . Boris Borisovitsch . Fam. Sarcophagidae. (P. 1) . Fauna USSR . 1937 . 19 . xv + 1-501 + [1] . Russian.
13. Book: Robineau-Desvoidy, Jean-Baptiste . 1863 . Histoire naturelle des dipteres des environs de Paris. . Masson et Fils, Paris.. Tome second. 1–920 . 15 February 2015.
14. Townsend . Charles Henry Tyler . Genera of the dipterous tribe Sarcophagini . Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington . 1917 . 30 . 189–197 . 6 January 2021.
15. Enderlein . Günther . Zwei neuen Sarcophagiden-Gattungen (Dipt.) . Mitteilungen der Deutschen Entomologischen Gesellschaft . 1937 . 8 . 28–29.
16. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . On the subtribes Phytosarcophagina, Erwinlindneriina, Kozloveina and Xanthopteriscina (Sarcophagini, Sarcophaginae, Sarcophagidae) . Biol. Naukii . 1989 . 31–37 . ru.
17. Strand . E. . Miscellanea nomenclatoria zoologia et palaeontologica. III. . Folia Zoologica et Hydrobiologica Riga . 1932 . 4 . 133–147.
18. Curran . Charles Howard . Diptera collected by Prof. and Mrs. Cockerell in New Caledonia and Fiji Islands . American Museum Novitates . 1929 . 375 . 1–15 . 6 January 2021.
19. Lehrer . A.Z. . Lehrer . M.M. . Trois genres et deux espèces nouveaux de Sarcophagines africaines (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale Belge d'Entomologie . 1992 . 122 . 233–241 . 6 January 2021.
20. Townsend . C. H. T. . 1933 . New genera and species of Old World oestromuscoid flies . Journal of the New York Entomological Society . 40 . 439–479.
21. Lehrer . Andy . Eight new Sarcophaginae genera from African continent (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Entomologica, Bari . 1994 . 28 . 17–36.
22. Chen . Z.-z. . Descriptions of a new genus and two new species of Chinese flies of the Tribe Sarcophagini (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) . Acta Ecologica Sinica . 1975 . 18 . 114–118 . zh.
23. Lehrer . Andy . Trois nouveaux genres sud-africains de la sous-famille Sarcophaginae (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Entomologia, Bari . 1992 . 27 . 29–39 . 6 January 2021 . fr.
24. Rohdendorf . Boris Borisovitsch . Some data on gray flesh-flies from South China (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Ént. Obozr. . 1964 . 43 . 80–85 . ru.
25. Lopes . H. de Souza . A remarkable new genus of Sarcophagidae from Australia (Diptera). . Studia Entomologica . 1958 . 1 . 545–552.
26. Lopes . H.S. . Kano . R. . On a new genus, Fijimyia, for Sarcophaga tephyrura Bezzi, 1927 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) . Pacific Insects . 1971 . 13 . 603–606.
27. Whitmore . Daniel . Buenaventura . Eliana . Pape . Thomas . Odd, outsized, and obscure: Sarcophaga (Hadroxena) karakoncolos sp. n. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from Turkey . Zootaxa . 2018 . 4422 . 3 . 385–394 . Magnolia Press . Auckland, New Zealand . 1175-5334 . 30313492 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4422.3.4.
28. Lopes . H. de Souza . A revision of Australian Sarcophagidae (Diptera) . Studia Entomologica . 1959 . 2 . 33–67.
29. Brauer . F. . Bergenstamm . J.E. von . Die Zweiflugler des Kaiserlichen Museums zu Wien. IV. Vorarbeiten zu einer Monographie der Muscaria Schizometopa (exclusive Anthomyidae) . Pars I. Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien . 1889 . 56 . 1 . 69–180, 11 pls.
30. Shinonaga . S. . Tumrasvin . W. . Two new genera and ten new species of the sarcophagid flies from Thailand (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) . Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology . 1979 . 30 . 2 . 135–145. 10.7601/mez.30.135 . free .
31. Kano . R. . Lopes . H.S. . A new genus, Johnsonimima, and two new species belonging to this genus from the Solomon Islands (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Pacific Insects . 1971 . 13 . 597–602 . 5 January 2021.
32. Baranov . N. . Zweiter Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Gattung Sarcophaga (s.l.). . Veterinarski Arhiv . 1941 . 11 . 361–404 . hr.
33. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . New data on the taxonomy of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) . Ént. Obozr. . 1982 . 61 . 188–189 . Russian.
34. Brauer . Friedrich Moritz . Bergenstamm . Julius E. von . Die Zweiflugler des Kaiserlichen Museums zu Wien. V. Vorarbeiten zu einer Monographie der Muscaria Schizometopa (exclusive Anthomyidae). Pars II . Denkschrift der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien . 1891 . 58 . 305–446 . 15 December 2020.
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36. Lopes . H. de Souza . Kano . R. . On Mindanaoa villipes n.gen., n.sp., from the Philippine Islands (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Revista Brasileira de Biologia . 1979 . 39 . 483–485.
37. Verves . Yury Grygorovych . Prof. Hugo de Souza Lopes and the modern system of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) . Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz . 1990 . 84 . suppl. IV . 529–545 . 10.1590/S0074-02761989000800094 . 7 January 2021. free .
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40. Stein . Paul . Die verbreitetsten Tachiniden Mitteleuropas nach ihren Gattungen und Arten . Archiv für Naturgeschichte . 1924 . 90A . 6 . 1–271 . 8 January 2021.
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42. Johnston . T.H. . Tiegs . C.W. . New and little-known sarcophagid flies from south-eastern Queensland . Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland . 1921 . 33 . 46–90 . 8 January 2021.
43. Rohdendorf . Boris Borisovitsch . New species of Sarcophaginae from the Sikhote-Alin State Reserve territory, collected by K.Ya. Grunin. . Trans. Sikhote-Alin St. Res. . 1938 . 2 . 101–110 . Russian.
44. Villeneuve . Joseph Th. de Janti. À propos de deux myodaires supérieurs africains (Dipt.) . Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France . 1913 . 1913 . 346–348 . 10.5962/bhl.part.16299. 8 January 2021. free .
45. Ye . Z.-m . Ni . T. . Description of Pterosarcophaga emeishanensis.] Pp. 229-231 in: Ye Z.-m., Ni T. & Liu G., Descriptions of a new genus and two new species of the tribe Sarcophagini (Diptera: Sarcophagidae . Zool. Res. [Kunming Institute] . 1981 . 2 . 229–234 . zh.
46. Baranov . N. . Weiteres über die Tachiniden (s.l.) der Salomon-Inseln. . Vet. Arh. . 1938 . 8 . 170–174.
47. Townsend . C.H.T. . Notes on North American Tachinidae sens. str. with descriptions of new genera and species. Paper V . Transactions of the American Entomological Society . 1891 . 19 . 88–132 . 6 December 2020.
48. Rohdendorf . Boris Borisovitsch . The organs of locomotion of the Diptera and their evolution (III) . Wiss. Z. Humboldt-Univ. Berl. . 1959 . 8 . 1–454 . de.
49. Kano . R. . Field . G. . Notes on flies of medical importance in Japan (Part XVIII). Descriptions of one new genus and three new species of sarcophagid flies from the Ryukyu Islands . Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology. 1963 . 14 . 3 . 131–137. 10.7601/mez.14.131 . free .
50. Dodge . H.R. . Neotropical Sarcophaginae with impressed scutellum (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) . Annals of the Entomological Society of America . 1965 . 58 . 3 . 252–259. 10.1093/aesa/58.3.252 .
51. Lopes . Some new Sarcophagidae from Peru (Diptera) . Revista Brasileira de Biologia . 1975 . 34 . 573–580.
52. Fan . Z.D. . A new genus and two new species of Sarcophagidae from southwest China (Diptera) . Acta Entomologica Sinica . 1981 . 24 . 3 . 314–316.
53. Townsend . Charles Henry Tyler . New genera and species of American muscoid Diptera . Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington . 1917 . 30 . 43–50 . 6 January 2021.