NEW RECORDS OF Woodiphora biroi (BRUES, 1907) AND A POSSIBLE SIBLING SPECIES OF Woodiphora parvula SCHMITZ, 1927 (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) FROM PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Raja M. Zuha, R. Henry L. Disney

Abstract


Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) can be found in various habitats with important roles in the ecosystem as parasites, predators and decomposers. Currently there are more than 270 genera of Phoridae worldwide and Woodiphora has been recognized as one of the most prevalent group in the Australasian and Oriental region. Previous decomposition studies using animal carcasses indicated there were more species likely to be discovered from Malaysia. In this paper, the first occurrence of Woodiphora biroi (Brues, 1907) from Peninsular Malaysia and a possible sibling species complex of Woodiphora parvula Schmitz, 1927 which could not be named until linked to its male were reported. The latter has different abdominal tergites and furca from previously described species. Samples were collected from baited-flight traps placed at selected locations in Bangi, Selangor, as prescribed herein. This report extends our knowledge on the distribution and bionomics of Woodiphora from this region.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bänziger, H. & Disney, R.H.L. 2006. Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) imprisoned by Aristolochia baenzigeri (Aristolochiaceae) in Thailand. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 79: 29–61.

Borgmeier, T. 1962. Versuch einer Uebersicht ueber die neotropischen Megaselia-Arten, sowie neue oder wenig bekannte Phoriden verschiedener Gattungen (Dipt. Phoridae). Studia Entomologica Petropolis 5: 289-488.

Borgmeier, T. 1967a. Studies on Indo-Australian phorid flies, based mainly on material of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the United States National Museum (Diptera, Phoridae). Studia Entomologica Petropolis 9: 129-328.

Borgmeier, T. 1967b. Studies on Indo-Australian phorid flies, based mainly on material of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the United States National Museum. Part II (Diptera, Phoridae). Studia Entomologica Petropolis 10: 81–276.

Brues, C.T. 1907. Some new exotic Phoridae. Annales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 5: 400–413.

Disney, R.H.L. 1985. Afrotropical Woodiphora with description of four new species (Diptera. Phoridae). Bulletin Entomologique de Pologne 55: 271–281.

Disney, R.H.L. 1987. Observations on a peculiar mechanism in the crop of some Phoridae (Diptera) and its taxonomic value. Journal of Natural History 21: 275–280.

Disney, R.H.L. 1989. A key to Australasian and Oriental Woodiphora (Diptera:Phoridae), affinities of the genus and description of new species. Journal of Natural History 23: 1137–1175.

Disney, R.H.L. 1994. Scuttle flies: the Phoridae. London: Chapman & Hall.

Disney, R.H.L. 2001. The preservation of small Diptera. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 137: 155–159.

Disney, R.H.L. 2005. The “distinctive” Woodiphora parvula Schmitz (Dipt., Phoridae) is a sibling species complex. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 141: 143–150.

Disney, R.H.L. & Bänziger, H. 2009. Further records of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) imprisoned by Aristolochia baenzigeri (Aristolochiaceae) in Thailand. Journal of the Swiss Entomological Society 82: 233–251.

Idris, A.B. & Sajap, A.S. 2002. The abundance of scuttle fly (Diptera:Phoridae) in five selected forests and the potential of its genera, Megaselia and Woodiphora, as biological indicators of forest disturbance. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 5(5): 566–568.

Liu, G. 2001. A Taxonomic Study of Chinese Phorid Flies Diptera: Phoridae (Part I). Shenyang: Northeastern University Press.

Malloch, J.R. 1935. Phoridae, Agromyzidae, Micropezidae, Tachinidae and Sarcophagidae (supplement). Insects of Samoa 6(9): 329–366.

Schmitz, H. 1926. H. Sauter’s Formosa-Ausbeute: Phoriden (Dipt.). Entomologische Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologische Museum Hamburg 15: 46–57.

Schmitz, H. 1927. Revision der Phoridengattungen mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten. Natuurhistorisch Maandblad 16: 30–40, 45–50, 59–65, 72–79, 92–100, 110–116, 128–132, 142–148, 164, 176.

Shafe’i, S.A. & Zuha, R.M. 2016. Preliminary survey of forensically important scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. Serangga 21(1): 125–137.

Zhu, W. & Liu, G.-C. 2009. Two new species of Woodiphora Schmitz (Diptera. Phoridae) from China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 34(3): 457–459.

Zuha, R.M. & Disney, R.H.L. 2017. Records of Woodiphora Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) from animal carcasses in Bangi, Malaysia. Serangga 22(1): 161–177.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.