Lateral view

Male frons width (blue arrow) in respect to anterior ocellus (red arrow) in Calliphora augur (upper) and Calliphora dubia (bottom)

Australian distribution

Taxonomy

Family: Calliphoridae

Subfamily: Calliphorinae

Genus: Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

Subgenus: Paracalliphora Townsend 1916

Species: dubia (Macquart 1855)

 

The third-instar larva was described by Wallman (2001).

Biology

Calliphora dubia is attracted to carrion early in decomposition and is a primary sheep fly (Norris 1959). It is the western analogue of its eastern sister species, Calliphora augur. Calliphora dubia is ovoviviparous, laying 30-80 larvae (Cook and Dadour 2011). Study of its development is much more limited than that of C. augur (Dadour et al. 2001).

Calliphora dubia can be distinguished from C. augur by the rich purple to blue abdominal sheen and the vivid white dust on the fifth tergite. Male C. dubia can be readily distinguished by the minimum frons width being greater than twice the width of the anterior ocellus, whereas in male C. augur the minimum frons width is less than twice the width of the anterior ocellus (see picture). To determine the gender of your fly click here.

Distribution

Calliphora dubia is found throughout south-western and central-southern Australia. It occurs sympatrically with Calliphora augur in eastern South Australia, Kangaroo Island and western New South Wales and Victoria (Wallman and Adams 1997). It has been recorded in all states and territories, apart from Tasmania, although in the eastern states it is relatively uncommon (Johnson 2007).

Relevant Literature

Cook, D.F. and Dadour, I.R. (2011) Larviposition in the ovoviviparous blowfly Calliphora dubia. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 25, 53-57.

Dadour, I.R., Cook, D.F., Fissioloi, J.N. and Bailey, W.J. (2001) Forensic entomology: application, education and research in Western Australia. Forensic Science International 120, 48-52.

Johnson, A.P. (2007) Climatic and biotic influences on the distributions of Calliphora augur and Calliphora dubia (Diptera: Calliphoridae). B.Sc. Honours, University of Wollongong.

Morris, B. (1993) Physiology and taxonomy of blowflies. M.Ag.Sc., The University of Adelaide.

Norris, K.R. (1959) The ecology of sheep blowflies in Australia. In: Keast, A., Crocker, R.L. and Christian, C.S. (eds.) Biogeography and Ecology in Australia. The Hague: D. W. Junk.

Wallman, J.F. (2001) Third-instar larvae of common carrion-breeding blowflies of the genus Calliphora (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in South Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15, 37-51.

Wallman, J.F. and Adams, M. (1997) Molecular systematics of Australian carrion-breeding blowflies of the genus Calliphora (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Australian Journal of Zoology 45, 337-356.

Watts, J.E., Muller, M.J., Dyce, A.L. and Norris, K.R. (1976) The species of flies reared from struck sheep in south-eastern Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal 52, 488-489.