Muscle attachment site patterns for species determination in West Palaearctic Wohlfahrtia (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of medical and veterinary importance

The flesh fly genus Wohlfahrtia Brauer & Bergenstamm contains at least six species of medical and veterinary importance. Traditional methods of species identification in specimens of Wohlfahrtia, however, are restricted mostly to adult forms. Muscle attachment site (MAS) patterns allow for species determination in larval forms. MAS patterns in third instar larvae of six common West Palearctic species of Wohlfahrtia have been analyzed for this study. As in previously investigated Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae, MAS patterns were found to be species specific. A genus pattern was established to be used as base for comparison in further species determination. For the first time a tool is provided for species identification of such broad range in larvae of Wohlfahrtia species. Wohlfahrtia patterns are composed of a significantly higher number of MAS than patterns found in Sarcophaga. Specifics of the six species analyzed are explained in detail. The larvae of the well-known species W. magnifica, an obligate traumatic myiasis agent, had to be excluded from the analysis as a great number of spines on the outside obscure muscle attachment sites on the inside of the cuticle.