title: Comparative morphology of early stages of two Mediterranean Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826 (Diptera; Sarcophagidae) and a review of the feeding habits of Palaearctic species.
abstract: The third instar larva of Sarcophaga hirticrus Pandellé, 1896 and Sarcophaga javita (Peris, González-Mora and Mingo, 1998) are described and figured for the first. The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been demonstrated as an effective tool for determining differences at the specific level, and is here applied. The two species are distinguished from other Sarcophaga spp. and the principal diagnostic character states are illustrated and discussed. Comparative information on immature stages morphology of the described Palaearctic Sarcophaga species and its feeding habits are compiled and provided in a tabulated form.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de la Biodiversidad (CIBIO), Universidad de Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pérez-Moreno
authors.forename: M Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marcos-García
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rojo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology