Preliminary study of necrophagous Diptera succession on a dog carrion in Skikda, North-east of Algeria

Abstract

When an animal dies, it attracts several species of invertebrates and insects, which will feed on its carcass. The first scavenger species that arrive on a carcass belong to the order of Diptera. In this context, we conducted a series of trials in Skikda region with the aim of filling a checklist of the necrophilous species present in this geographical area. Our first trial was performed on a carcass of a dog (22kg), between March and April 2011, in an open field of the School of Agriculture (Skikda) which is used normally as an agricultural area. We collected more than 3126 specimens of Diptera, larvae, pupae and adults. Four families of Diptera, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae and Fanniidae were recognized, the most numerous observed family was the Calliphoridae family, represented by the species Calliphora vicina, Calliphora vomitoria, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia illustris and Phormia Regina.