Molecular caracterization and philogenetic analysis of Sarcophagidae species (Diptera) and confection of interative taxonomic keys for species of Fanniidae and Calliphoridae of medical, veterinary and forensic importance from Southeastern Brazil (Diptera)

Abstract

Diptera are known as being associated to a number of human-modified environments, therefore being of medical and sanitary importance. On the other hand, they can be useful tools in medico-legal investigations for they can be used to estimate the post mortem interval, mainly in cases of suspicious deaths. For this reason, they are considered to be of great importantce in Forensic Medicine. Several faunistic surveys of Diptera that have been done lack a more detailed study of the fauna, because often they are limited to taxa above the species level. This fact is due to several factors, but basically the fact that there are few taxonomic keys for certain groups and the insufficient descriptions of key morphological characters. Therefore, works that could advance in the studies of the biology, ecology and population dynamics of these organisms are prevented. The conventional keys for identification of Sarcophagidae can be very useful. However, the present keys have limited usefulness because they are based mainly on very specific characters such as male terminalia. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of the aedeagus, chaetotaxy and body size exist only for adult flies, but the knowledge of the biology and ecology of several species is scarce, and practically nothing is known about the habits of the immatures. A further issue is the problem related to the large number of sinonimies in this family, fact that complicates even more the systematics of the group. This study aims at determining diagnostic characters for immatures of 30 species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Muscomorpha). In addition, we will determine diagnostic characters for adults of 16 most frequent species, including those of forensic importance, of this family in São Paulo State and in regions near the State border. As for the Fanniidae (Diptera: Muscomorpha), general information and keys for the group are also scarce, usually restricted to a small geographic region or limited to only one sex (males or females). There are several keys for Neotropical adult Calliphoridae. but the identification of immatures is still a problem, because larvae of Calliphoridae tend to be very similar, mainly among species of the same genus. Interactive taxonomic keys made with the help of software built specifically for this purpose are a flexible alternative as traditional keys, for they offer more detailed illustrations and descriptions during the identification process, in addition to allow the selection of any character without the need to follow a specific sequence. In the Neotropical Region there are two records of interactive keys for Diptera. The present project aims at: 1. Determining the diagnostic characters for the immatures stages of 30 species, and the diagnostic characters for 16 of most frequent adults of Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Muscomorpha) from São Paulo State and vicinity; 2. Determining the most relevant characters for 19 species of Fanniidae (Diptera: Muscomorpha); 3. Identifying the morphological charecters for immatures of at least 18 species of Callhporidae (Diptera: Muscomorpha) the occur in São Paulo State and vicinity. After compilation, these characters will be described and illustrated to be used in making interactive keys with the help of the software LUCID® for the studied species of these three families. The final work will be made available in the web. (AU)