The Immature stages of dung-breeding muscoid flies in Australia, with notes on the species, and keys to larvae and puparia

Abstract

The paper describes the immature stages of 29 muscoid flies that were found to breed in cow-dung in Australia (25 spp. of Muscidae, one Fanniidae, two Sarcophagidae, and one undescribed species, probably Anthomyiidae). Eggs, all larval instars and puparia were studied where available, and their significant morphological features are described and illustrated. A general account of immature stage morphology is presented, and keys are given to all larval instars and to puparia. The taxonomic and biological significance of some of the morphological features are discussed, and some traditional concepts on the functional morphology of larvae are re-examined. Hebecnema nigrita Vockeroth, 1972, is a new junior synonym of H. uniseta Hennig, 1952.