Corresponding author: Catarina Prado e Castro (
Academic editor: D. Whitmore
Knowledge on the taxonomic diversity and distribution of blowflies from the Madeira Archipelago is updated. New and interesting findings are reported for poorly studied islands and islets of this archipelago, together with a brief analysis of the diversity of Macaronesian
Prado e Castro C, Szpila K, Martínez-Sánchez A, Rego C, Silva I, Serrano ARM, Boieiro M (2016) The blowflies of the Madeira Archipelago: species diversity, distribution and identification (Diptera, Calliphoridae
Blowflies in the broad sense (
There are 115 blowfly species in Europe (
The catalogue of Iberian
The checklist of Madeiran terrestrial biodiversity (
The Madeira Archipelago is located in the North Atlantic, nearly 600 km from the African coast (Morocco), between latitudes 32°24' and 33°07'N and longitudes 16°16' and 17°16'W. The archipelago consists of three groups of volcanic islands and islets, namely Madeira, Porto Santo and Desertas. Madeira is the largest (~ 740 km2) and highest (1862 m) island and also presents the highest diversity of habitat types, including the largest surviving area of Laurisilva forest in Macaronesia. Laurisilva is a relict laurel forest native to the Macaronesian archipelagos of Azores, Canaries and Madeira, which during the Tertiary covered a considerable area of the western Mediterranean Basin (
Protected areas cover a large fraction of the archipelago, aiming to maintain and protect its native biodiversity from a number of human-related threats (
A sampling programme encompassing different habitat types in all islands of Madeira Archipelago was carried out during the springs and summers of 2011 and 2012 (Table
Information on sampling dates and localities (site name, habitat type, and geographic coordinates) in the Madeira Archipelago.
Island group | Site name | Habitat type | Latitude (N) | Longitude (W) | Dates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Abobreiras | Heathland |
|
|
30/V-13/VI/2011 |
Achadas da Cruz |
|
|
26/V-9/VI/2011 | ||
Bica da Cana |
|
|
26/VI-9/VII/20110 | ||
Calheta 1 | Heathland |
|
|
27/V-10/VI/20110 | |
Calheta 2 |
|
|
27/V-10/VI/20110 | ||
Dunas da Piedade | Dune system |
|
|
2-16/V/20110 | |
Funduras | Laurisilva |
|
|
31/V-14/VI/20110 | |
Galhano 1 | Laurisilva |
|
|
4-18/VII/20120 | |
Galhano 3 | Laurisilva |
|
|
5-19/VII/20120 | |
Ilhéu do Farol | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
18/V-1/VI/20110 | |
Loreto |
|
|
24/VI-9/VII/20110 | ||
Miradouro das Voltas 1 | Laurisilva |
|
|
2-16/VI/20110 | |
Miradouro das Voltas 2 | Laurisilva |
|
|
2-16/VI/20110 | |
Miradouro das Voltas Ps |
|
|
2-16/VI/20110 | ||
Miradouro das Voltas Seq |
|
|
2-16/VI/20110 | ||
Montado dos Pessegueiros 2 | Laurisilva |
|
|
3-17/VII/20120 | |
Montado dos Pessegueiros 3 | Laurisilva |
|
|
3-17/VII/20120 | |
Pico das Pedras L | Laurisilva |
|
|
31/V-14/VI/20110 | |
Pico das Pedras Ps |
|
|
31/V-14/VI/20110 | ||
Ponta de S. Lourenço E | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
3-17/V/20110 | |
Parque eólico | Semi-natural meadow |
|
|
2-16/V/20110 | |
Ponta de S. Lourenço W | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
3-17/V/20110 | |
Portela |
|
|
3-17/VI/20110 | ||
Porto Moniz |
|
|
24/V-7/VI/20110 | ||
Prazeres |
|
|
24/VI-9/VII/20110 | ||
Ribeira da Cruz | Laurisilva |
|
|
26/V-9/VI/20110 | |
Santana |
|
|
25/VI-10/VII/20110 | ||
|
Bugio N | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
27/IV-19/V/2011 |
Bugio S | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
27/IV-19/V/2011 | |
Castanheira N | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
26/IV-10/V/20110 | |
Castanheira S | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
26/IV-10/V/20110 | |
Eira | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
27/IV-11/V/20110 | |
Doca | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
26/IV-10/V/20110 | |
Ilhéu Chão N | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
28/IV-18/V/20110 | |
Ilhéu Chão S | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
28/IV-18/V/20110 | |
|
Fonte da Areia | Dune system |
|
|
21/VI-5/VII/20110 |
Ilhéu da Cal N | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
22/VI-6/VII/20110 | |
Ilhéu da Cal S | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
22/VI-6/VII/20110 | |
Ilhéu do Farol N | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
20/VI-4/VII/20110 | |
Ilhéu do Farol S | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
20/VI-4/VII/20110 | |
Ilhéu do Ferro | Coastal vegetation |
|
|
21/VI-5/VII/20110 | |
Pico Ana Ferreira |
|
|
21/IV-5/V/20110 | ||
Pico Branco Cup |
|
|
23/IV-7/V/20110 | ||
Pico Branco mead | Semi-natural meadow |
|
|
23/IV-7/V/20110 | |
Pico do Castelo |
|
|
22/IV-6/V/20110 | ||
Pico do Facho Cup |
|
|
22/IV-6/V/20110 | ||
Pico do Facho Pin |
|
|
22/IV-6/V/20110 | ||
Pico Juliana |
|
|
23/IV-7/V/20110 |
The unexpected finding of larviposition by
The classification and the taxonomic terminology used in the key follow
Four-hundred and seventy (470) specimens of six
Blowfly records collected during the present study in the islands and islets of the Madeira Archipelago. Species records are plotted on a simplified representation of the archipelago to ease understanding.
Updated list of the
Species | M | PS | D |
---|---|---|---|
X | |||
X | • | • | |
X | |||
X | • | ||
X | |||
X | • | • | |
X | |||
X | |||
X | • | ||
X | • | • |
Madeira: Galhano 3 (20 females); Montado dos Pessegueiros 2 (1 female); Montado dos Pessegueiros 3 (3 females).
Diagnostically important characters of Madeiran blowflies (
Habitus in antero-lateral view of Madeiran blowflies:
First instar larva of
Madeira: Abobreiras (1 female); Achadas da Cruz (1 male); Calheta 1 (1 female); Calheta 2 (1 female); Ponta de São Lourenço E (1 male); Ilhéu do Farol (1 male); Funduras (1 female); Galhano 1 (1 female); Miradouro das Voltas 1 (1 female); Miradouro das Voltas 2 (1 female); Miradouro das Voltas Ps (1 female); Miradouro das Voltas Seq (2 females); Montado dos Pessegueiros 2 (1 female, 1 male); Montado dos Pessegueiros 3 (1 female, 2 males); Pico das Pedras L (1 female); Pico das Pedras Ps (2 females); Portela (1 female); Porto Moniz (2 females); Ribeira da Cruz (1 female); Santana (1 female); PORTO SANTO: Ilhéu da Cal S (1 female, 1 male); Fonte da Areia (1 female, 1 male); Pico Ana Ferreira (7 females, 1 male); Pico do Facho Cup (1 female); Pico Juliana (1 female); DESERTAS: Bugio N (12 females, 5 males); Bugio S (7 females, 1 male); Ilhéu Chão N (1 female, 1 male).
Madeira: Bica da Cana (1 female).
This common carrion-breeder is distributed throughout the Holarctic Region and is also present in the Oriental and Australasian regions (
Porto Santo: Ilhéu do Farol S (1 female).
Madeira: Funchal (
Madeira: Dunas da Piedade (1 male); Ilhéu do Farol (1 female); Porto Santo: Ilhéu da Cal S (1 male); Ilhéu do Farol N (1 female, 5 males); Ilhéu do Farol S (2 females); Ilhéu do Ferro (1 female); Desertas: Bugio N (130 females, 30 males); Bugio S (116 females, 34 males); Castanheira N (13 females, 5 males); Castanheira S (3 females); Doca (10 females, 5 males); Eira (1 female); Ilhéu Chão N (1 female); Ilhéu Chão S (1 female).
A very common fly in temperate areas of the Holarctic Region (
Madeira: Madeira (
This species is cited from most countries of Europe and from the Nearctic Region (
Madeira: Madeira (
This species is distributed throughout most zoogeographical regions, being widespread in Europe.
Madeira: Parque eólico (2 females); Ponta de São Lourenço W (1 female); Porto Santo: Pico Branco Cup (6 females); Pico Branco mead (4 females); Pico do Castelo (4 females).
This is the most common species in the genus, being widespread in the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Oriental regions. In Porto Santo it was found in different habitat types (Table
Madeira: Bica da Cana (2 females); Loreto (3 females); Prazeres (1 female); Parque eólico (1 female); Ponta de São Lourenço W (1 female); Porto Santo: Ilhéu da Cal N (4 females); Ilhéu da Cal S (2 females); Ilhéu do Ferro (1 female); Fonte da Areia (7 females); Pico do Facho Pin (1 female); Desertas: Castanheira N (1 female).
1 | Stem-vein with a row of weak setulae on dorsal surface (Fig. |
|
– | Stem-vein bare on dorsal surface (Fig. |
|
2 | Lower facial margin strongly protruded (Fig. |
|
– | Lower facial margin not protruded (Fig. |
|
3 | Anterior spiracle light-coloured, white-yellowish (Fig. |
|
– | Anterior spiracle dark, brownish (Fig. |
|
4 | Lower calypter black or at least darkly infuscate, with numerous long hairs on dorsal surface (Fig. |
|
– | Lower calypter white-yellowish and bare on dorsal surface (Fig. |
|
5 | Facial ridge, lower facial margin and anterior part of genal dilation yellowish-red (Fig. |
|
– | Facial ridge, lower facial margin and anterior part of genal dilation black (Fig. |
|
6 | Hairs on posterior part of genal dilation and postgena black (Fig. |
|
– | Hairs on posterior part of genal dilation and postgena orange (Fig. |
|
7 | Parafacial plates narrow and bare, with white dusting (Figs |
|
– | Parafacial plates broad and densely haired, with brown-yellowish dusting (Fig. |
|
8 | Node at junction of humeral crossvein and subcostal vein with a bundle of several light-coloured hairs (Fig. |
|
– | Node at junction of humeral crossvein and subcostal vein bare (Fig. |
|
9 | Mid tibia with one anterodorsal seta (Fig. |
|
– | Mid tibia with two or three anterodorsal setae (Fig. |
|
Madeira: Galhano 3 (15 first instar larvae). The first instar larvae (Fig.
The first instar larvae of
Body length: 1.4–5.1 mm.
The comparison of first instar larval specimens from Madeira with the original description (
The effective conservation of insect diversity is, to some extent, hindered by the lack of knowledge of species taxonomy as well as by poor data on species distribution, abundance and sensitivity to habitat change (e.g.,
This recent survey of the calliphorid diversity on the islands and islets of the Madeira Archipelago allowed the collection of valuable information concerning species taxonomy, distribution and ecology, including the first report of blowfly species from Porto Santo and Desertas islands (Table
This study presents evidence that the species found in the Madeira Archipelago use different habitats:
The finding of
The number of calliphorid species so far recorded for the Madeira Archipelago remains low, but it is similar to numbers reported from the Azores (nine species) and Canary Islands (ten species) (
During the last decades we have witnessed a significant increase in the number of blowfly introductions in oceanic archipelagos worldwide due to human-assisted dispersal (
The authors wish to thank Madeira Nature Park for logistic support and permission for the collection of specimens in Madeira archipelago. This study was financed by Portuguese National Funds, through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within the projects PTDC/BIABEC/99138/2008, UID/BIA/00329/2013 and also by FCT/MEC through national funds and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, and COMPETE 2020, within the project UID/BIA/04004/2013. We are also grateful to Carlos Aguiar and Fernando Pereira for help during fieldwork, to Inês Trindade for checking the English text and to the reviewers and journal editor for the careful revision and improvement of the manuscript. KS was supported by a project of the Polish National Science Centre (2012/07/B/NZ8/00158), while CR and MB were supported by FCT grants (SFRH/BPD/91357/2012 and SFRH/BPD/86215/2012, respectively).