title: Sarcophaga (Liosarcophaga) tibialis Macquart 1851 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): micromorphology of preimaginal stages of a fly of medical and veterinary interest.
abstract: Sarcophagids are a large family of Diptera, with a worldwide distribution. They are related to decomposing organic matter and are very interesting for health science and in forensic cases since many species produce myiasis and occur in human corpses. This family is considered difficult to study, particularly with regard to their immature stages, to which little attention has been paid. Genus Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826 is composed of species of very similar morphology, making very difficult to distinguish. Knowledge of the immature stages of this genus is important because such stages occupy the greater part of the life cycle, so that establishing a basis for their identification will increase their usefulness in systematic and applied sciences. This contribution presents a detailed study of the morphological features, both external and internal, of the preimaginal stages of Sarcophaga (Liosarcophaga) tibialis Macquart, 1851, providing a taxonomical context for the correct identification of Liosarcophaga species of forensic interest in the Iberian Peninsula. Both light and scanning electron microscopy were applied. Complete descriptions of every stage are provided and illustrated, and their usefulness for species comparison, taking into account our uneven knowledge of morphologically immature stages of this subgenus, is indicated. Features of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton, such as the shape of the mouth hook and the intermediate and basal sclerites, and external morphology, such as the pattern of spinose band and anterior and posterior spiracles, proved useful for separating species. Finally, tentative identification keys based on light microscopy observation to distinguish S. (L.) tibialis from other species of forensic interest belonging to Liosarcophaga subgenus are proposed for every immature stage.
authors.affiliation: Area of Zoology, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Biology Faculty, Murcia University, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángela
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Paños-Nicolás
authors.affiliation: Area of Zoology, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Biology Faculty, Murcia University, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Arnaldos
authors.affiliation: Area of Zoology, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Biology Faculty, Murcia University, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ma Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Area of Zoology, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Biology Faculty, Murcia University, 30100, Murcia, Spain. nubero@um.es.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ubero-Pascal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009198:Myiasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D058493:Sarcophagidae / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*
keywords: Cephalopharyngeal skeleton; Diptera; Identification keys; Immature; Light microscopy; SEM; Ultramorphology