title: Phenotypic polymorphism of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) may lead to species misidentification.
abstract: Species identification is an essential step in the progress and completion of work in several areas of biological knowledge, but it is not a simple process. Due to the close phylogenetic relationship of certain species, morphological characters are not always sufficiently distinguishable. As a result, it is necessary to combine several methods of analysis that contribute to a distinct categorization of taxa. This study aimed to raise diagnostic characters, both morphological and molecular, for the correct identification of species of the genus Chrysomya (Diptera: Calliphoridae) recorded in the New World, which has continuously generated discussion about its taxonomic position over the last century. A clear example of this situation was the first record of Chrysomya rufifacies in Brazilian territory in 2012. However, the morphological polymorphism and genetic variability of Chrysomya albiceps studied here show that both species (C. rufifacies and C. albiceps) share very similar character states, leading to misidentification and subsequent registration error of species present in our territory. This conclusion is demonstrated by the authors, based on a review of the material deposited in major scientific collections in Brazil and subsequent molecular and phylogenetic analysis of these samples. Additionally, we have proposed a new taxonomic key to separate the species of Chrysomya found on the American continent, taking into account a larger number of characters beyond those available in current literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, PO Box 6109, CEP 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: grella.md@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maicon D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Grella
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, PO Box 6109, CEP 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: André G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Savino
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology/Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Paulo
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology/Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology/Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana M L
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Azeredo-Espin
authors.affiliation: Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Margareth M C
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thyssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, PO Box 6109, CEP 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arício X
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Linhares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002965:Classification; D004175:Diptera / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
keywords: Blowflies; Brazil; Identification key; New World; Taxonomy; Vectors